▎ 摘　　要

In this study, the influence of incorporation of carbon based nano fillers, namely multi-walled carbon nano tubes and graphene oxide on the tribological behaviour of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene was investigated in water lubricated sliding contacts. Further investigations were carried out to study the influence of gamma-irradiation and hygrothermal aging on the friction and wear response of the polymeric materials. It was found that regardless of the treatment, GO/MWNT reinforced composites consistently exhibited a lower friction and higher wear resistance in comparison to the unfilled UHMWPE. This was mainly attributed to the lubricating action of the carbonaceous nano fillers in water lubricated sliding contacts. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.