Abstract:As the gold standard material for artificial joints, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) generates wear debris when the material is used in arthroplasty applications. Due to the adverse reactions of UHMWPE wear debris with surrounding tissues, the life time of UHMWPE joints is often limited to 15-20 years. To improve the wear resistance and performance of the material, various attempts have been made in the past decades. This paper reviews existing improvements made to enhance its mechanical properties and wear resistance. They include using gamma irradiation to promote the cross-linked structure and to improve the wear resistance, blending vitamin E to protect the UHMWPE, filler incorporation to improve the mechanical and wear performance, and surface texturing to improve the lubrication condition and to reduce wear. Limitations of existing work and future studies are also identified.

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The current methods used to impart flameretardant or fire-resistant properties to flexible polyurethane foams (PUFs) to meet fire safety requirements entail the use of halogenated phosphorus-based compounds. Whereas these are highly effective as flame retardants, the associated toxicity derived from halogens in the burning fumes are deadly. To address this problem, we herein present a facile and efficient method of fabricating highly fire-resistant flexible PUF using halogen-free nature-inspired coatings. All of the active ingredients used to fabricate the coatings originated from natural or widely available sources: chitosan from crustacean shells, acetic acid that is found in vinegar, and expandable graphite mined from mineral rocks, thus making this strategy environmentally friendly and sustainable. These coatings offer excellent flame-retardant properties; with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value as high as 31%, the coated foam could potentially pass the highest levels within the British Standard 5852, which is a commonly accepted global industry standard for meeting the fire safety requirement of flexible PUF. Furthermore, cone calorimeter testing revealed the superior fire safety performance of the coated foam, including very low heat and smoke release upon burning. The flame retardancy of the coated PUFs is tunable depending on the amount of graphite employed in the coating solutions. It is anticipated that the coating strategy described here is applicable to other substrates.

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