Fatigue Characterization for Composite Materials used in Artificial Socket Prostheses with the Adding of Nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract The prostheses sockets use normally composite materials which means that their applications may be related with the human body. Therefore, it was very necessary to improve the mechanical properties of these materials. The prosthetic sockets are subjected to varying stresses in gait cycle scenario which may cause a fatigue damage. Therefore, it is necessary or this work to modify the fatigue behavior of the materials used for manufacturing the prostheses sockets. In this work, different Nano particle materials are used to modify the mechanical properties of the composite materials, and increase the fatigue strength. By using an experimental technique, the effect of using different volume fractions for various types for Nano particle materials on the fatigue behavior for composite materials, and preparing the fatigue samples and tested using the fatigue apparatus. The Nano particles used were (Nano SiO2 and Nano Al2O3) materials with volume fraction as (0% to 2%), for each type of Nano material used. The artificial neural network technique was adopted to have a verification for the experimental results and calculating the fatigue life and strength for composite materials, with the addition of nanoparticles and then, a comparison of the results was achieved. The comparison of the results indicate a maximum error between results calculated by two technique did not exceeded about (1%). Then, the results calculated showed that the mechanical properties and fatigue life and strength increase with reinforcement with Nano particle. Also, the results showed that the modified for fatigue limits with materials by (Nano SiO2) Nano particle was more than the modified for fatigue limits for materials reinforcement with other materials. Finally, it can be concluded that the modified for fatigue strength, by reinforcement with (Nano SiO2), leads to 60% more than fatigue limit without Nano additive.