TY - JOUR
T1 - Mechanics and tribology of a zwitterionic polymer blend
T2 - Impact of molecular weight
AU - Osaheni, Allen O.
AU - Mather, Patrick T
AU - Blum, Michelle M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Dick Chave, Bill Dossert, and Tim Breen from Syracuse University's machine shop at the College of Engineering and Computer Science for manufacturing the spherical indenter, tribo-rheometry sample fixtures and the fluid bath used for stress relaxation experiments. The authors would also like to thank Emily Lindberg for her assistance with indentation testing and Katherine Lindsley for her assistance with measuring hydrogel coefficient of friction against glass.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2020/6
Y1 - 2020/6
N2 - Despite decades of biomimetic materials development, the tribological properties of articular cartilage remain unrivalled. This manuscript presents the design and material properties of a polymer blend composed of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and a zwitterionic polysulfobetaine (PMEDSAH) prepared into hydrogel form using a cyclic freeze-thaw method. The PVA hydrogel matrix provides mechanical strength while the zwitterionic polymer, PMEDSAH, is intended to act as a boundary lubricant. The formation of PVA-PMEDAH hydrogel blends was found to result in unique biomimetic system where the boundary lubricant elutes from the bulk material to the surface in response to applied pressure. This behavior is attributed to the high-water content of the PVA hydrogel matrix and the solubility of PMEDSAH in aqueous solution. In addition to characterizing the effects of boundary lubricant molecular weight on the diffusive properties of the hydrogel blend, we report the coefficient of friction, μ, versus sliding speed for the hydrogel/glass interface. Consistent with our prior findings, PMEDSAH was found to engender lubricious behavior and the dependence of μ on sliding velocity indicated a repulsive interaction with glass rather than an attractive one. This result agrees with the hydration lubrication hypothesis. Contact mechanics analyzed within the context of Hertzian biphasic theory were also investigated, revealing that the introduction of PMEDSAH enhances the hydrogel's ability to provide interstitial fluid load support.
AB - Despite decades of biomimetic materials development, the tribological properties of articular cartilage remain unrivalled. This manuscript presents the design and material properties of a polymer blend composed of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and a zwitterionic polysulfobetaine (PMEDSAH) prepared into hydrogel form using a cyclic freeze-thaw method. The PVA hydrogel matrix provides mechanical strength while the zwitterionic polymer, PMEDSAH, is intended to act as a boundary lubricant. The formation of PVA-PMEDAH hydrogel blends was found to result in unique biomimetic system where the boundary lubricant elutes from the bulk material to the surface in response to applied pressure. This behavior is attributed to the high-water content of the PVA hydrogel matrix and the solubility of PMEDSAH in aqueous solution. In addition to characterizing the effects of boundary lubricant molecular weight on the diffusive properties of the hydrogel blend, we report the coefficient of friction, μ, versus sliding speed for the hydrogel/glass interface. Consistent with our prior findings, PMEDSAH was found to engender lubricious behavior and the dependence of μ on sliding velocity indicated a repulsive interaction with glass rather than an attractive one. This result agrees with the hydration lubrication hypothesis. Contact mechanics analyzed within the context of Hertzian biphasic theory were also investigated, revealing that the introduction of PMEDSAH enhances the hydrogel's ability to provide interstitial fluid load support.
KW - Biomimetic
KW - Biphasic
KW - Boundary lubrication
KW - Hydrogel
KW - Tribology
KW - Zwitterionic
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U2 - 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110736
DO - 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110736
M3 - Article
C2 - 32279767
AN - SCOPUS:85079908617
SN - 0928-4931
VL - 111
JO - Materials Science and Engineering C
JF - Materials Science and Engineering C
M1 - 110736
ER -