Friction and wear properties of UHMWPE/nano-MMT composites under oilfield sewage condition

A new stabilizer material ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was reinforced with modified nano-montmorillonite (MMT) in different contents. Tribological properties of the materials, together with the polyamide (PA) material used as stabilizer for the purpose of comparison, were tested against a J55 steel counterfact on a reciprocating tribometer under oilfield sewage condition. The experimental conditions were a contact pressure 7.0 MPa, a stroke length of 15 mm, and a reciprocating frequency of 1 Hz. The results show that the 10 wt.% nano-MMT composite exhibits the lowest friction coefficient and the best wear resistance among all specimens; that furrow and larger area of brittleness break are dominant for the PA specimen, and that plowed scratches and abrasive wear are dominant for the 10 wt.% nano-MMT composite. The new material proves to be better than PA material when used as stabilizer materials.