Characterization of hardness and elastic modulus using nanoindentation and correlation with wear behavior of UHMWPE during uniaxial tension

Sahitya Movva; Reeshemah K Burrell; Hamid Garmestani; Karl I Jacob

doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106142

Characterization of hardness and elastic modulus using nanoindentation and correlation with wear behavior of UHMWPE during uniaxial tension

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2023 Nov:147:106142. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106142. Epub 2023 Oct 6.

Authors

Sahitya Movva¹, Reeshemah K Burrell², Hamid Garmestani³, Karl I Jacob⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Intel Corporation, 2501 NE Century Blvd, Hillsboro, OR, 97124, USA. Electronic address: sahitya6@gatech.edu.
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Materials Research & Tech, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL, 32310-6046, USA.
³ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Materials Research & Tech, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL, 32310-6046, USA; Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
⁴ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA; Renewable Bioproducts Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.

PMID: 37806277
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106142

Abstract

UHMWPE is the material of choice for bearing surfaces in total joint arthroplasty making its wear and mechanical properties important factors of contribution in longevity of prosthetic hip/knee implants. In this study, the variation of hardness and elastic modulus with applied load in textured UHMWPE has been investigated. Texture has been induced through uniaxial tension of UHMWPE modifying its microstructure which in turn influences the wear resistance and hence the mechanical properties of the material. Previous studies have shown hardness to be a major factor influencing wear resistance. However, recently, the ratio of hardness (H) to elastic modulus (E) has been recognized as a more influential parameter of wear resistance. The validity of predicting wear resistance using H/E ratio has been examined in this work. Power law variation with load for the bioimplant material UHMWPE has been investigated at different strain levels. It has been observed that power law exponent of 2 can only be achieved at higher load levels. Overall, this work provides an insight into influencing the properties of bioimplant material UHMWPE by modifying the microstructure of the material through inducing texture which ultimately affects the longevity of the prosthetic implants.

Keywords: Microstructure; Nanoindentation; Texture; Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene; Uniaxial tension; Wear resistance.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Elastic Modulus
Hardness
Materials Testing
Polyethylenes* / chemistry
Prostheses and Implants*

Substances

ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene
Polyethylenes