Khalifa University
Dr. Andreas Schiffer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Khalifa University (KU) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He obtained his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Graz University of Technology in 2009 and his DPhil in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford in 2013. Dr. Schiffer’s research interests cover multiple themes in the broad area of Mechanics of Materials and are currently focused on multifunctional composites and architected materials enabled via additive manufacturing.
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been widely used in medical implants, but its high molecular weight and melt viscosity pose significant processing challenges, particularly for extrusion-based methods. This presentation provides insights into selective laser sintering (SLS) of GNP/UHMWPE bulk and cellular composites, and presents measurements of their mechanical and piezoresistive responses under monotonic and cyclic tensile loading. The effect of GNP loading on the pore volume fraction and the mechanical properties of the sintered composites are experimentally evaluated and compared to the predictions of a simple theoretical model. The results reveal that the addition of GNPs to UHMWPE promotes densification during sintering and enhances the ultimate strength (~21%) and elastic modulus (~40%) of the sintered parts. We also demonstrate that the GNP/UHMWPE composites can maintain their piezoresistive strain sensing functionality over 100 load cycles. The findings suggest that 3D printed multifunctional GNP/UHMWPE composites exhibit desirable attributes relevant for developing advanced orthopaedic implants with strain/damage sensing functionalities.
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