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EFFECT OF NANOCRYSTALLINE Fe71,1Nb3Cu1Si18,6B6,3 ALLOY ON THE ABRASIVE WEAR RATE OF POLYETHERETHERKETONE AND ULTRA-HIGH-MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE
Summary
Scientists mixed tiny hard metal particles into two plastics commonly used in medical implants (like artificial joints) and industrial parts, making them 2-3 times more resistant to wearing down from friction and scraping. This matters because plastic implants that wear out too quickly can shed particles into the body or fail early, so tougher, longer-lasting materials could mean fewer replacement surgeries and less wear debris released internally. It's worth noting this study tested industrial-grade material durability, not the biocompatibility or safety of these specific composites in the human body.
This study investigated the effect of the content of a nanocrystalline magnetic alloy (at.%) with the composition Fe71,1Nb3Cu1Si18,6B6,3 (Finemet class) on the abrasive wear index of polyetheretherketone and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The tests were carried out under conditions involving rigidly fixed abrasive particles using a HECKERT machine; hardness and surface roughness parameters were also determined. It was found that introducing this alloy at 5–35 wt.% leads to a 2,9-fold increase in the wear resistance of polyetheretherketone and a 2-fold increase for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. The enhancement in wear resistance of the investigated metal-polymer composite materials is attributed to the fact that small (40–100 µm) hard particles of the Fe71,1Nb3Cu1Si18,6B6,3 alloy (with a microhardness of approximately 15 000 MPa) hinder micro-cutting and microplastic deformation processes, thereby reducing the depth of ploughing grooves. This is also confirmed by a decrease in the surface roughness parameter (Ra) of polyetheretherketone by 2,9 times and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene by 2,5 times. Increasing the filler content beyond 30 wt.% for polyetheretherketone and 35 wt.% for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene leads to particle agglomeration, increased porosity, and a subsequent decline in the material's tribological performance. The developed metal-polymer composite materials are recommended for the manufacturing of working components and auxiliary units in modern machinery operating in aggressive abrasive environments.