Tribological behavior of biomaterial for total hip prosthesis

¹ Surface Engineering and Tribology Group, Laboratory of Metallurgy and Engineering Materials, BADJI Mokhtar-Annaba University, P.O. 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria
mamoun.fellah@yahoo.fr
² Mechanical Engineering Department, ABBES Laghrour, Khenchela University, P.O 1252, 40004 Khenchela, Algeria
³ Laboratory of formability of materials BADJI Mokhtar, Annaba University, P.O. 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria
⁴ Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry BADJI Mokhtar, Annaba University, P.O. 12, 23000 Annaba, Algeria
⁵ ARTS ET METIERS ParisTech, MSMP, 8 Boulevard Louis XIV, 59046 Lille Cedex, France

Received: 21 July 2013
Accepted: 7 October 2014

Abstract

Friction and wear plays an important role in determining the performance of biomaterials. To this end, the present research is carried out to understand the tribological behavior important biometallic alloy, Ti-6Al-4V under sliding contact. The friction and wear experiments were carried out using ball-on-disc and pin-on-disc tribometers in ambient air, under different conditions of normal applied loads (3, 6 and 10 N) and sliding speeds (1, 15 and 25 mm.s^-1) for 3000 m. The obtained research results revealed the lowest coefficient of friction was 0.038 at 1 mm.s^-1 and 3 N) while the higher value was in the range of 0.90 at 25 mm.s^-1 and 3 N). Results show that the specimens have similar friction and wear performance, although the sliding speed and applied loads are different. The tribomechanical wear, as evident from the observation of abrasion, adhesion and cracking, is the predominant wear mechanism.