Investigation of the mechanical properties and failure modes of hybrid natural fiber composites for potential bone fracture fixation plates

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanical feasibility of a hybrid Glass/Flax/ Epoxy composite material for bone fracture fixation such as fracture plates. These hybrid composite plates have a sandwich structure in which the outer layers are made of Glass/ Epoxy and the core from Flax/Epoxy. This configuration resulted in a unique structure compared to prior composites proposed for similar clinical applications. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties of this hybrid composite, uniaxial tension, compression, three-point bending and Rockwell Hardness tests were conducted. In addition, water absorption tests were performed to investigate the rate of water absorption for the specimens. This study confirms that the proposed hybrid composite plates are significantly more flexible axially compared to conventional metallic plates. Furthermore, they have considerably higher ultimate strength in tension, compression and flexion. Such high strength will ensure good stability of bone-implant construct at the fracture site, immobilize adjacent bone fragments and carry clinical-type forces experienced during daily normal activities. Moreover, this sandwich structure with stronger and stiffer face sheets and more flexible core can result in a higher stiffness and strength in bending compared to tension and compression. These qualities make the proposed hybrid composite an ideal candidate for the design of an optimized fracture fixation system with much closer mechanical properties to human cortical bone. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.