Wear Resistance and Microstructure of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene During Uniaxial Tension

The influence of microstructure on wear resistance of prosthetic hip and joint bioimplant material, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) during uniaxial tension has been investigated. The microstructure and wear resistance have been studied utilizing wide-angle X-ray diffraction and nanoscratch tester, respectively. The microstructure has been represented in terms of texture components resultant from orientation distribution functions (ODFs) and pole figures while wear resistance has been represented in terms of wear volume and wear resistance factor. This study investigates how the global combination of texture components prevalent in different plastic regimes engenders material responses to wear resistance. The effect of abrasion and change in wear resistance of the bioimplant material UHMWPE have been explored by varying the loads applied, scratch directions, scratch speeds and the number of recurring scratches within the nanoscratch tests. The wear resistance developed during the uniaxial tension has been correlated to the microstructural changes resulting due to mechanical deformation. This study of the correlation between wear resistance and texture suggests that improved wear resistance in UHMWPE can be achieved by texturing the bioimplant material in the loading direction.