Mechanical properties of glass-ceramic A-W-polyethylene composites: effect of filler content and particle size.
Composites which comprise a bioactive filler and ductile polymer matrix are desirable as implant materials since both their biological and mechanical properties can be tailored for a given application. In the present study three-point bending was used to characterise biomedical materials composed of glass-ceramic apatite-wollastonite (A-W) particulate reinforced polyethylene (PE) (denoted as AWPEX). The effects of filler volume fraction, varied from 10 to 50 vol%, and average particle size, 4.4 and 6.7 microm, on the bending strength, yield strength, mode of fracture, Young's modulus and strain to failure were investigated. HAPEX, a commercially used composite of hydroxyapatite and polyethylene, with a 40 vol% filler content, was used for comparison. Increasing the filler content caused an increase in Young's modulus, yield strength and bending strength, and a decreased strain to failure. When filler particle size was increased, the Young's modulus, yield and bending strengths were found to be slightly reduced. A transition in fracture behaviour from ductile to brittle behaviour was observed in samples containing between 30 and 40 vol% filler.
Juhasz
J A
JA
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK. jaj33@cam.ac.uk
Best
S M
SM
Brooks
R
R
Kawashita
M
M
Miyata
N
N
Kokubo
T
T
Nakamura
T
T
Bonfield
W
W
D001031:Apatites / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002516:Ceramics / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D008420:Manufactured Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D008422:Materials Testing; D019563:Mechanics; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D012824:Silicic Acid / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013718:Tensile Strength
D001031:Apatites; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D018786:Bone Substitutes; C077777:apatite-wollastonite-containing glass ceramic; D012824:Silicic Acid; C023506:Glass ceramics; D020959:Polyethylene