Direct-joining of a polylactide acid-hydroxyapatite biocomposite with a titanium alloy

Author(s)

Renan Adauto ^[1] ; Gean Henrique Marcatto de Oliveira ^[2] ; Mário Augusto Morozo ^[3] ; Márcio Antônio Fiori ^[4] ; Leonardo Bresciani Canto

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Federal de São Carlos. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais - Brasil

^[2] Universidade Federal de São Carlos. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais - Brasil

^[3] Universidade Federal de São Carlos. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais - Brasil

^[4] Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná. Departamento de Física - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: POLIMEROS-CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA; v. 35, n. 1 2025-03-24.

Abstract

Abstract A promising yet underexplored alternative for biomedical applications involves incorporating polymer, metal, and ceramic materials into hybrid structures. In this study, a biocomposite consisting of polylactic acid (PLA) with 20 wt% of nearly spherical sub-micron hydroxyapatite (HA) particles was successfully synthesized. The HA particles were uniformly dispersed and distributed within the PLA matrix, leading to a biocomposite with a well-balanced combination of thermal and mechanical properties. This PLA−HA biocomposite was then directly joined through injection overmolding onto a laser-surface-structured titanium alloy Ti6Al4V substrate. The PLA−HA/Ti6Al4V hybrid joints demonstrated robust mechanical anchorage, achieved through the thorough filling of the polymer biocomposite into the micro-scale structures engineered onto the metal surface. This mechanism ensured good lap-shear strength, making these hybrid joints promising candidates for orthopedic applications. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/24296-0 - Injection over-molding of polymer-metal hybrid joints
• Grantee: Leonardo Bresciani Canto
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants