High temperature melting

1. A method of making a wear resistant polymeric material, the method comprising:

i) blending a polymeric material with an antioxidant to form a blended material;

ii) consolidating the blended material by compression molding to form a starting material;

iii) heating the starting material to a temperature of about 200° C. or more at about ambient pressure;

iv) continue heating the starting material;

v) cooling the heated starting material to below a melting temperature of the starting material; and

vi) thereafter irradiating the material by ionizing radiation, thereby forming a wear resistant polymeric material.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

vii) doping the irradiated polymeric material with at least one antioxidant, thereby forming the wear resistant polymeric material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of phenolic antioxidants, vitamin E, and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

step i) comprises blending one or more polymeric materials with at least one antioxidant; and

step ii) comprises consolidating the blended material by compression molding as a single layer or as multiple layers containing different concentrations of one or more antioxidants.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is compression molded to a second surface prior to step iii), thereby making an interlocked hybrid material.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of a low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), or a mixture thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation dose is between about 25 and about 1000 kGy.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

vii) doping the irradiated polymeric material with at least one antioxidant;

viii) heating the antioxidant-doped and irradiated material to a temperature above or below the melting point of the polymeric material; and

ix) cooling the heated and irradiated material from viii), thereby forming the wear resistant polymeric material.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

vii) cooling the irradiated material.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

step v) comprises cooling and consolidating the heated starting material.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

vii) annealing at a temperature below or above the melting point of the irradiated material.