The Wear of High Molecular Weight Polyethylene—Part I: The Wear of Isotropic Polyethylene Against Dry Stainless Steel in Unidirectional Motion

Abstract

The wear of surgical grade ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene against stainless steel has been studied for unidirectional motion. After a short wearing-in period, two distinct steady-state regions appear on the wear graphs. In the first section adhesion is the predominant wear mechanism and a transfer film of polymer builds up on the steel counterface. After a certain sliding distance, determined by the load, the adhesive mechanism is augmented by fatigue wear and the wear rate increases sharply and remains constant at the new value.