Wear behavior of γ -irradiated ultra high-molecular weight polyethylene in a hip joint simulator

In this work, the wear behavior of cross-linked ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is discussed. The UHMWPE specimens are molded through injection molding techniques by varying the parameters of melting temperature (MT). The cross linking of UHMWPE was carried out by iridium 192 isotopes, where the specimen received 25 kGy energy. The wear tests were conducted on a hip joint simulator that was designed and fabricated in the laboratory. The contact loads are varied from 50 N to 100 N. The study revealed that MT has influenced the hardness and wear properties such as coefficient of friction and wear rate, respectively. γ-Irradiated UHMWPE has better wear and friction resistances than unirradiated UHMWPE. The worn out surfaces were examined with the help of scanning electron microscope, and it revealed the presence of wear mechanisms such as ironing, scratching, ploughing, plastic deformation, and fatigue wear.