Grapheme oxide (GO) was prepared by modified Hummers method. A range of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/graphene oxide (UHMWPE/GO) composites were fabricated through ball-milling the mixture in liquid media and hot-press molding followed by cross-linking in a vacuum environment. The samples were characterized by gel content, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), and oxidation index (IO).Meanwhile, the water absorption, wettability and surface energy variation of UHMWPE/GO composites were evaluated before and after irradiation. The results showed that the GO surface contains rich oxygen-containing functional groups before and after irradiation treatment. The water absorption decreased slightly after irradiation cross-linking modification. The wettability was improved after irradiation modification and the incorporation of GO due to the reduced contact angle and enhanced surface free energy.

irradiation crosslinking; UHMWPE; GO; water absorption; wettability