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Single-Point Incremental Forming of Two Biocompatible Polymers: An Insight into Their Thermal and Structural
Luis Marcelo Lozano-Sánchez1, Isabel Bagudanch2, Alan Osiris Sustaita3
1Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey 64849, México. lmarcelo.lozano@gmail.com.
Polymers
|April 11, 2019
Summary
Single-Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) shapes polycaprolactone (PCL) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) by altering polymer chain orientation and crystallite structure. This process induces distinct surface chain alignments and thermal transitions in these biocompatible polymers.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Engineering
- Manufacturing Processes
Background:
- Biocompatible polymers like PCL and UHMWPE are crucial for medical implants.
- Single-Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) is a versatile sheet metal forming technique with potential for polymer processing.
- Understanding polymer behavior under SPIF is essential for optimizing fabrication and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the performance and structural changes of polycaprolactone (PCL) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) during Single-Point Incremental Forming (SPIF).
- To identify key processing parameters influencing the SPIF of these polymers.
- To correlate the thermal and structural properties with the observed performance.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and shaping of PCL and UHMWPE sheets using SPIF.
- Design of Experiments (Box-Behnken) to assess the impact of forming tool diameter, spindle speed, feed rate, and step size.
- Comprehensive characterization of thermal properties (DSC, TGA) and structural properties (XRD).
Main Results:
- SPIF processing leads to significant polymer chain orientation in both PCL and UHMWPE.
- Differential chain orientation was observed on the surfaces interacting with the forming tool (horizontal) versus the opposite surface (vertical).
- UHMWPE unit cell distortion from orthorhombic to monoclinic occurred due to crystallite slippage, accompanied by an alpha star thermal transition in both polymers.
Conclusions:
- SPIF is an effective method for shaping PCL and UHMWPE, inducing anisotropic structural modifications.
- The observed crystallite slippage and alpha star transition are key phenomena influencing polymer behavior during SPIF.
- This study provides critical insights into the structure-property relationships of biocompatible polymers processed via SPIF.
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