Europium as a candidate staining material to determine polyethylene wear

Start Page
405
End Page
406
Citation
Proceedings of the Materials Division, The ASME Non-Destructive Evaluation Division and The ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division, 2006. - Seite 405-406
Contribution to Conference
ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2006  
Publisher DOI
10.1115/IMECE2006-15376
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-37349117011
Publisher
ASME
ISBN
0-7918-4773-X
978-0-7918-4773-2
Current protocols employed to measure wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) utilize gravimetric and/or topographic measurement techniques. However, these methods may be subject to error due to creeping and fluid absorption capabilities of polyethylene. A novel process designed to avoid these errors was developed using Europium (Eu) as a tracer material to quantify polyethylene wear. Eu is a rare earth element that does not naturally occur in the human body and can be quantified using ICP-MS. By combining a solution of Eu - stearate with nascent UHMWPE powder, 9.5 mm diameter pins were molded and subjected to pin-on-disk testing. Samples of the testing lubricant were obtained at regulated intervals. These samples were analyzed for Eu quantification, which were then compared with the gravimetric pin measurements.
Subjects
Europium
Marker
Polyethylene
Tracer material
Wear
DDC Class
540: Chemistry