Theoretical modelling and experimental characterization of composite material for ulna bone plate application

Abstract

Abstract In the procedure, isolated fractures in the ulna bone shaft are normally handled with metal bone plates, which may result in “stress shielding” contributing to bone re fracture and bone mass decrease. For bone plate applications, fiber-reinforced composites with lower stiffness have been introduced to mitigate the above disadvantages. A new glass/jute/polyester hybrid composite material for bone plate whose structure is engineered to ensure lower rigidity than traditional metal plate is being established in the current investigation. In this research, many design guidelines were followed to take account of the strength of composite systems and to optimize the advantages of the properties of both fibers. Classical lamination theory (CLT) and rule of mixture models are used to test the composite elastic properties before processing. The determined elastic properties were used to determine the viability for further processing and characterization of developed composite material models. In this analysis, three separate laminates were manufactured by hand layup process. The impact of various stacking and orientation of fibers on different mechanical properties of composite has been studied through experimental studies. In order to simulate the major loads of bone plates, the composite was evaluated directly under tensile, flexural and compressive tests. The findings of experimental tests found that the composite material introduced showed greater flexural strength (95.37–161.48 Mpa) relative to axial tension (59.81–70.17 Mpa) and compression (72.06–95.28 Mpa). The proposed composite material is ideal for bone fracture plates that need sufficient bending rigidity with lower axial rigidity.