Tribological and Micro-Mechanical Behaviors of Advanced Polyethylene (HDPE) by Radiation

Abstract

This study examines the tribological and micro-mechanical behavior of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which has been advanced to the class of advanced polymers through electron beam irradiation (irradiation dose of 33 kGy to 198 kGy). The tribological and mechanical behaviors were analyzed at the surface and at various depths beneath the surface to verify the extent of radiation effects across the entire cross-section of the specimen. Changes in tribological and mechanical behavior are closely related to changes in the structure of the material, mainly changes in crystallinity. As this study shows, 99 kGy appears to be the ideal radiation dose in terms of the properties examined. An increase in absorbed radiation dose leads to a deterioration of tribological and mechanical performance, which correlates with material degradation and a concomitant reduction in crystallinity. The improvement in the properties examined between unirradiated and irradiated HDPE at a dose of 99 kGy is 18% for mechanical behaviors and 8% for tribological behaviors on the surface of the sample. A maximum deviation of 39% was identified between the surface and the center of the material. There was also a change in crystallinity of up to 12%. These modifications result in enhanced surface wear resistance and increased overall stiffness, effectively shifting commodity-grade HDPE toward the performance domain of advanced polymers with only minimal cost implications. © 2026 by the authors.