Hygrothermal effect on mechanical and fatigue properties of laminated lower limb socket and bacteria growth

Abstract EN

In this work, hygrothermal effect on the mechanical and fatigue properties of prosthetic socket lamination and its effect on the bacteria growth were studied.

Two laminations composite materials were used in manufacturing prosthetic socket by using vacuum device.

The reinforced materials of these laminations were perlon and carbon nanopowder (CNP) while the matrix material was polyurethane resin.

Tests performed in this work were the moisture absorption properties test to calculate percent moisture content according to ASTM 5229, tensile and fatigue tests with and without the hygrothermal effect to find the mechanical and fatigue properties, and the bacteria growth test under the hygrothermal effect to calculate the number of bacteria on the laminations.

The results showed that the lamination (10 perlon+1 wt % CNP) has mechanical properties than lamination (10 perlon) with and without hygrothermal effect.

The mechanical and fatigue properties for the two laminations were decreasing with increasing temperature and moisture..

Adding carbon nanopowder to the lamination (10 perlon) increased ultimate stress, modulus of elastic, and endurance limit by (1.36, 2.35, and2.72 time) respectively.

Finally, the results showed that the Staphylococcus aureus growth increases with increasing temperature and moisture on the two laminations used in manufacturing prosthetic socket, and adding carbon nanopowder also increased the Staphylococcus aureus growth on the lamination.