Hydroxyapatite/ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene nanocomposites fabricated by in situ hydrothermal synthesis for wear‐resistance and friction reduction

Abstract

AbstractIn situ filling raises a possibility to restrain the agglomeration of nanomaterials in macromolecule matrices, which usually is encountered in the nanocomposites prepared by a mechanical mixing method. In this work, the nanocomposites of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) filled with nanosized hydroxyapatite (HAP) were fabricated by an in situ hydrothermal method. The fabricated HAP/UHMWPE nanocomposites exhibited a high dispersion degree of HAP nanoparticles (NPs) and a marked improvement in stiffness, strength, toughness, glass‐transition temperature, and hydrophilicity compared with the matrix and the reference composites prepared by mechanical mixing. Furthermore, pronouncedly decreased coefficients of friction and volume wear rates were observed on the in situ fabricated HAP/UHMWPE nanocomposites under dry friction, the lubrications of water, or cell culture fluid against a steel ring. The in situ fabricating strategy suggests a way to prepare highly dispersed nanocomposites, and the resulting HAP/UHMWPE nanocomposites might indicate a significant clinical prospect.