Wear of poly (methyl methacrylate) against a metallic surface in dry conditions

Wear of Poly (methyl methacrylate), PMMA, against a metallic surface, AISI 316L stainless steel (SS) has been investigated in dry conditions. These materials have been used to simulate the degradation of the contact, femoral stem-bone cement in the field of hip prosthesis. First of all, no significant wear was observed on the 316L SS. PMMA wear has been quantified: the energy wear coefficient, slope of the line, and wear volume according to the cumulated dissipated energy, don't depend on the normal load, FN. This energy analysis allows predicting the PMMA wear depth. According to the comparison between the measured dissipated energy and the energy breaking polymer chains, mechanical dissipated energy is used essentially to transform third body structure and to expel it from the contact between the two materials. Moreover, the experimental results have highlighted the stick-slip phenomenon. Lastly, Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform InfraRed and Reflection Absorption-Fourier Transform InfraRed have shown that PMMA debris configuration and conformation have changed after wear against 316L SS. The driving force of these changes seems to be the acid–base interactions between PMMA and hydroxyl groups of the SS surface. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:633–648, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.