Tribological study on the surface modification of metal-on-polymer bioimplants

doi:10.1007/s11465-022-0682-6

Front. Mech. Eng.

2022, Vol. 17

Issue (2) : 26 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11465-022-0682-6

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Tribological study on the surface modification of metal-on-polymer bioimplants

Gang SHEN¹, Jufan ZHANG¹(

), David CULLITON², Ruslan MELENTIEV¹, Fengzhou FANG^1,³(

)

¹. Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT-Dublin), School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
². Department of Aerospace, Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Institute of Technology Carlow, Carlow, Ireland
³. State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

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Abstract

The tribological performance of artificial joints is regarded as the main factor of the lifespan of implanted prostheses. The relationship between surface roughness and coefficient of friction (COF) under dry and lubricated conditions is studied. Results show that under dry test, friction coefficient is not reduced all the time with a decrease in surface roughness. On the contrary, a threshold of roughness value is observed, and frictional force increases again below this value. This critical value lies between 40 and 100 nm in S_a (roughness). This phenomenon is due to the transfer of friction mechanisms from abrasion to adhesion. Under wet test, COF always decreases with reduction in surface roughness. This result is mainly attributed to the existence of a thin layer of lubricant film that prevents the intimate contact of two articulating surfaces, thus greatly alleviating adhesion friction. Furthermore, surface texturing technology is successful in improving the corresponding tribological performance by decreasing friction force and mitigating surface deterioration. The even-distribution mode of texturing patterns is most suitable for artificial joints. By obtaining the optimal surface roughness and applying texturing technology, the tribological performance of polymer-based bioimplants can be greatly enhanced.

Keywords artificial joints surface roughness friction surface texturing

Corresponding Author(s): Jufan ZHANG,Fengzhou FANG

Just Accepted Date: 22 April 2022 Issue Date: 27 July 2022

Cite this article:

Gang SHEN,Jufan ZHANG,David CULLITON, et al. Tribological study on the surface modification of metal-on-polymer bioimplants[J]. Front. Mech. Eng., 2022, 17(2): 26.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fme/EN/10.1007/s11465-022-0682-6
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fme/EN/Y2022/V17/I2/26

Fig.1 Schematic illustration of pin-on-disk tribometer.

Fig.2 Surface topography of CoCrMo samples with various roughness values (S_a): (a) 337.4 nm, (b) 184.8 nm, (c) 98.4 nm, (d) 60.6 nm, (e) 48.2 nm, and (f) 8.6 nm.

Fig.3 Bearing behavior of testing samples.

Fig.4 COF vs. S_a under dry test.

Fig.5 Worn surfaces of UHMWPE when sliding against CoCrMo with different surface roughness values (S_a): (a) 337 nm, (b) 184 nm, (c) 48 nm, and (d) 8.6 nm.

Fig.6 Worn metal samples with S_a values: (a) 337 nm and (b) 8 nm.

Fig.7 COF vs. surface roughness under serum-lubricated condition.

Fig.8 Comparison of COF between dry test and serum-lubricated condition.

Fig.9 SEM image of CoCr surface after 10-minute wear under serum-lubricated situation.

Fig.10 WLI image of micro dimple after MAJM.

Fig.11 WLI image of micro dimple after lapping and polishing.

Fig.12 Optimal images of three distribution modes for micro dimple: (a) even distribution, and the pitch distance is constantly 2 mm (namely, D1); (b) uneven distribution mode 1, and the pitch distance can be either 1 or 3 mm (namely, D2); (c) uneven distribution mode 2, and the pitch distance can be either 0.8 or 3.2 mm (namely, D3).

Fig.13 COF of dimple-textured CoCrMo disks under three different distribution modes.

Fig.14 CoCrMo bearing surface after pin-on-disk sliding test.

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