The Mechanical Properties and Modeling of Creep Behavior of UHMWPE/Nano-HA Composites

Composites with different levels of hydroxyapatite (HA) content and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were prepared in this work. Mechanical properties of the composites were examined here, and to evaluate the effect of HA particles on the time-dependent behavior of the pure matrix, the creep and recovery performance of composites at various stress levels were also researched. As expected, the addition of HA influenced the time-dependent response of the UHMWPE and the effect had a strong dependence on the HA content. The creep and recovery strain of the composites significantly decreased with increasing HA content, and tensile properties were also impaired, which was due to the concentration of HA fillers. The mechanism and effect of HA dispersed into the UHMWPE matrix were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, since variations in the adjusted parameters revealed the impact of HA on the creep behavior of the UHMWPE matrix, Findley's model was employed. The results indicated that the analytical model was accurate for the prediction of creep of the pure matrix and its composites.