Examination of Low-Cyclic Fatigue Tests and Poisson's Ratio Depending on the Different Infill Density of Polylactide (PLA) Produced by the Fused Deposition Modeling Method.

This article examines the impact of fatigue cycles on polylactide samples produced by 3D printing using the FDM method. Samples were printed in three infill degree variants: 50%, 75% and 100%. To compere the influence of infill degree on PLA properties, several tests, including the uniaxial tensile test, the low-cycle fatigue test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were conducted. Poisson's ratio has also been studied. Single hysteresis loops were summed to obtain the entire low-fatigue cycle. The infill of density influenced all compared mechanical parameters. The decrease in infill degree caused the reduction of Young's modulus and shear modulus. For a 100% degree of sample infill, a higher number of transferred load cycles were observed compared to PLA with 75% and 50% of infill. Additionally, the value of the transferred cyclic load before fatigue failure and the dissipation of mechanical energy was the highest for 100% of infill. It is also worth noting that fatigue tests can positively affect the appearance of the PLA structure. Obviously, it depends on the number of load cycles and the infill density. It causes that if the goal is to transfer as much load as possible over a long period of time, the maximum filling of the printed element should be used.

Analysis of the Effect of Photo and Hydrodegradation on the Surface Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Composites Based on PLA and PHI Modified with Natural Particles.

Biodegradable polymer materials are increasingly used in the packaging industry due to their good properties and low environmental impact. Therefore, the work was performed on the injection molding of the bio-based composites of polylactide (PLA) and polyhydroxyalcanates (PHI) modified with two phases: reinforcing (walnut shell flour and cellulose) and coloring (beta carotene and anthocyanin). The produced materials were subjected to wide mechanical characteristics-tensile, flexural, and fatigue tests. Additionally, the influence of photo and hydrodegradation on the change of the surface structure and mechanical properties of the composites was assessed. The addition of natural fillers contributed to the improvement of the stiffness of the tested composites. PHI composites withstood a higher number of cycles during cyclic loading, but the stress values obtained in the static tensile test were higher for PLA composites. Moreover, a clear change of color was observed after both the photo and hydrodegradation process for all tested materials; however, after the degradation processes, the filler-modified materials underwent greater discoloration. For the composites based on PHI, the type of degradation did not affect the mechanical properties. On the other hand, for PLA composites, hydrolytic degradation contributed to a higher decrease in properties-the decrease in tensile strength for unmodified PLA after photodegradation was 4%, while after hydrodegradation it was 24%.

Stress relaxation of porcine tendon under simulated biological environment: experiment and modeling.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the viscoelastic response in the low and high physiological strain with the use of experimental and modeling approach. METHODS: Viscoelastic response in the low, transition and high physiologic strain (3, 6 and 9%) with consideration of simulated biological environment (0.9% saline solution, 37 °C) was measured in relaxation tests. Preconditioning of tendons was considered in the testing protocol and the applied range of load was obtained from tensile testing. The quasi-linear viscoelasticity theory was used to fit experimental data to obtain constants (moduli and times of relaxation), which can be used for description of the viscoelastic behavior of tendons. The exponential non-linear elastic representation of the stress response in ramp strain was also estimated. RESULTS: Differences between stress relaxation process can be seen between tendons stretched to the physiological strain range (3%) and exceeding this range (6 and 9%). The strains of 6% and 9% showed a similar stress relaxation trend displaying relatively rapid relaxation for the first 70 seconds, whereas the lowest strain of 3% displayed relatively slow relaxation. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the model fitting showed that the quasi-linear viscoelastic model gives the best fit in the range of low physiological strain level.

Surface Testing of Dental Biomaterials-Determination of Contact Angle and Surface Free Energy.

The key goal of this study was to characterize surface properties of chosen dental materials on the base on the contact angle measurements and surface free energy calculations. Tested materials were incubated in the simulated oral environment and drinks to estimate an influence of conditions similar to those in the oral cavity on wetting and energetic state of the surface. Types of materials were as follows: denture acrylic resins, composite and PET-G dental retainer to compare basic materials used in a prosthetics, restorative dentistry and orthodontics. The sessile drop method was used to measure the contact angle with the use of several liquids. Values of the surface free energies were estimated based on the Owens-Wendt, van Oss-Chaudhury-Good and Zisman's methods. The research showed that surface wetting depends on the material composition and storage conditions. The most significance changes of CA were observed for acrylic resins (84.7° ± 3.8° to 65.5° ± 3.5°) and composites (58.8° ± 4.1° to 49.1° ± 5.7°) stored in orange juice, and for retainers (81.9° ± 1.8° to 99.6° ± 4.5°) incubated in the saline solution. An analysis of the critical surface energy showed that acrylic materials are in the zone of good adhesion (values above 40 mJ/m2), while BIS-GMA composites are in the zone of poor adhesion (values below 30 mJ/m2). Study of the surface energy of different dental materials may contribute to the development of the thermodynamic model of bacterial adhesion, based on the surface free energies, and accelerate the investigation of biomaterial interaction in the biological environment.

Mechanical Behavior and Morphological Study of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Composites under Static and Cyclic Loading Condition.

The key goal of this study was to characterize polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based composites with the addition of bronze particles and mineral fibers/particles. The addition of individual fillers was as follows: bronze-30-60 wt.%, glass fibers-15-25 wt.%, coke flakes-25 wt.% and graphite particles-5 wt.%. Both static and dynamic tests were performed and the obtained results were compared with the microscopic structure of the obtained fractures. The research showed that the addition of 60 wt.% bronze and other mineral fillers improved the values obtained in the static compression test and in the case of composites with 25 wt.% glass fibers the increase was about 60%. Fatigue tests have been performed for the compression-compression load up to 100,000 cycles. All tested composites show a significant increase in the modulus as compared to the values obtained in the static compression test. The highest increase in the modulus in the dynamic test was obtained for composites with 25 wt.% of glass fibers (increase by 85%) and 25 wt.% of coke flakes (increase by 77%), while the lowest result was obtained for the lowest content of bronze particles (decrease by 8%). Dynamic tests have shown that composites with "semi-spherical" particles are characterized by the longest service life and a slower fatigue crack propagation rate than in the case of the long glass fibers. In addition, studies have shown that particles with smaller sizes and more spherical shape have a higher ability to dissipate mechanical energy, which allows their use in friction nodes. On the other hand, composites with glass fiber and graphite particles can be successfully used in applications requiring high stiffness with low amplitude vibrations.

Physico-Mechanical Properties of the Poly(oxymethylene) Composites Reinforced with Glass Fibers under Dynamical Loading.

The paper evaluated the possibility of potential reinforcing of poly(oxymethylene) (POM) by glass fiber and the influence of fiberglass addition on mechanical properties under dynamic load. Four types of composites with glass fiber and another four with carbon fiber were produced. The fiber content ranged from 5% to 40% by weight. In the experimental part, the basic mechanical and fatigue properties of POM-based composites were determined. The impact of water absorption was also investigated. The influence of fiber geometry on the mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced composites of various diameters was determined. To refer to the effects of reinforcement and determine the features of the structure scanning electron microscopy images were taken. The results showed that the addition of up to 10 wt %. fiberglass increases the tensile properties and impact strength more than twice, the ability to absorb energy also increases in relation to neat poly(oxymethylene). Fiber geometry also has a significant impact on the mechanical properties. The study of the mechanical properties at dynamic loads over time suggests that composites filled with a smaller fiber diameter have better fatigue properties.

Experimental testing and constitutive modeling of the mechanical properties of the swine skin tissue.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was an estimation of the possibility of using hyperelastic material models to fit experimental data obtained in the tensile test for the swine skin tissue. METHODS: The uniaxial tensile tests of samples taken from the abdomen and back of a pig was carried out. The mechanical properties of the skin such as the mean Young's modulus, the mean maximum stress and the mean maximum elongation were calculated. The experimental data have been used to identify the parameters in specific strain-energy functions given in seven constitutive models of hyperelastic materials: neo-Hookean, Mooney-Rivlin, Ogden, Yeoh, Martins, Humphrey and Veronda-Westmann. An analysis of errors in fitting of theoretical and experimental data was done. RESULTS: Comparison of load -displacement curves for the back and abdomen regions of skin taken showed a different scope of both the mean maximum loading forces and the mean maximum elongation. Samples which have been prepared from the abdominal area had lower values of the mean maximum load compared to samples from the spine area. The reverse trend was observed during the analysis of the values of elongation. An analysis of the accuracy of model fitting to the experimental data showed that, the least accurate were the model of neo- -Hookean, model of Mooney-Rivlin for the abdominal region and model of Veronda-Westmann for the spine region. CONCLUSIONS: An analysis of seven hyperelastic material models showed good correlations between the experimental and the theoretical data for five models.

The Stress Relaxation Process in Sutures Tied with a Surgeon's Knot in a Simulated Biological Environment.

BACKGROUND: The exact characteristics of sutures are not only the basis for selecting from among different types of suture, but also provide the necessary information for the design of new surgical sutures. Apart from information relating to the breaking load of a suture reported in pharmacopoeias, the viscoelastic properties of sutures can be an additional selection criterium - one that influences stitching quality, especially when there is a risk of wound dehiscence. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the stress relaxation process for 3 polymeric sutures in an environment simulating the conditions in a living organism and (for comparison) in room conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Stress relaxation testing was carried out on 3 polymeric sutures: polypropylene (PP), polydioxanone (PDS) and polyglycolic acid (PGA). To identify the mechanical properties of the sutures, uniaxial tensile tests were conducted according to the Polish Pharmacopoeia. The relaxation test was carried out in room conditions and in the bath simulating a biological environment. The sutures being tested were tied with a surgeon's knot. RESULTS: The PP suture exhibited the greatest stress relaxation (18% of the initial stress in room conditions and 21% of the initial stress in the bath). The PGA suture exhibited the least stress relaxation (approximately 60% of the initial stress in room conditions and 59% of the initial stress in the bath). The PDS suture was tested at a lower strain level and showed stress relaxation similar to the PGA suture (approximately 63% of the initial stress in room conditions and 55% in the bath). CONCLUSIONS: Multifilament braided absorbable (PGA) sutures and monofilament absorbable (PDS) sutures had a higher stress relaxation ratio over time than monofilament non-absorbable (PP) sutures. These findings may indicate higher stress maintained over time in PDS and PGA sutures, and thus higher tension at wound edges, sufficient to resist wound dehiscence.

[The use of contact angle and the surface free energy as the surface characteristics of the polymers used in medicine]. / Zastosowanie pomiarów kata zwilzania i swobodnej energii powierzchniowej do charakterystyki powierzchni polimerów wykorzystywanych w medycynie.

BACKGROUND: In the interaction process between implant and a living organism an important role is covered by the material layer. Many studies in the field of chemical engineering concern biomaterials surface. OBJECTIVES: Changes estimation of properties of polymers surface layer due to hydrolytic degradation on the base on measurements of contact angles and calculation of the surface free energy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Contact angle measurements were made for the two polymers: polylactide (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) undergoing the hydrolytic degradation process over a period of 27 months. Based on the measured values of contact angles, surface free energy by the Owens-Wendt method and the critical surface tension were calculated. RESULTS: The surface for both tested polymers is hydrophilic. Hydrolytic degradation influences the growth of the surface free energy and the critical surface tension. CONCLUSIONS: Methodology can be a easily available for the initial assessment of the material from the point of view of the ability to cell adhesion and the progress of the degradation process.