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Replication Study of Molded Micro-Textured Samples Made of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene for Medical Applications

Authors :
Francesco Modica
Vito Basile
Rossella Surace
Irene Fassi
Source :
Micromachines, Vol 14, Iss 3, p 523 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

In articular joint implants, polymeric inserts are usually exploited for on-contact sliding surfaces to guarantee low friction and wear, a high load-bearing capacity, impact strength and stiffness, and biocompatibility. Surface micro-structuring can drastically reduce friction and wear by promoting hydrostatic friction due to synovial fluid. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a suitable material for these applications due to its strong chemical resistance, excellent resistance to stress, cracking, abrasion, and wear, and self-lubricating property. However, surface micro-texturing of UHMWPE is hardly achievable with the currently available processes. The present study investigates UHMWPE’s micro-textured surface replication capability via injection molding, comparing the results with the more easily processable High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Four different micro-texture cavities were designed and fabricated on a steel mold by micro-EDM milling, and used for the experimental campaign. Complete samples were fabricated with both materials. Then, the mold and samples were geometrically characterized, considering the dimensions of the features and the texture layout. The replication analysis showed that HDPE samples present geometrical errors that span from 1% to 9% resulting in an average error of 4.3%. In comparison, the UHMWPE samples display a higher variability, although still acceptable, with percentage errors ranging from 2% to 31% and an average error of 11.4%.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2072666X
Volume :
14
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Micromachines
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.6accee6b15d440a9b69aa7aff85d67fb
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14030523