Effect of molecular weight on fatigue characteristics of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene for implant material

In order to investigate the effect of molecular weight on fatigue characteristics in the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), tension-tension fatigue tests of notched specimens were carried out in the present study. The effects of testing parameters were investigated and fractography was also discussed. The fatigue strength does not increase with increasing molecular weight. The fatigue strength might be influenced by the high degree of crystallinity in spite of the decreased tie molecular density. Almost no effect of frequency on the number of cycles to failure can be observed. However, the higher the frequency is, the higher the crack tip temperature. At high stress ratio, number of stress cycles to failure (S-N) curves shift to the side of high number cycles to failure.