DEVELOPMENT OF COLLAGEN FIBERS REINFORCED EPOXY MATRIX COMPOSITES AND ITS DEGRADATION STUDY

Abstract: In recent years, it has been discovered that composites are the most discerning and promising material for structural applications. The resilience of biomaterials to deterioration or corrosion by bodily fluids is a crucial prerequisite for their use as orthopedic implants. In the current study, collagen type I fibres and epoxy matrix are combined to create polymer matrix composites with varied fibre volume fractions, including 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. The breakdown rate for the collagen fibre reinforced polymer matrix composites was assessed using test specimens made from the manufactured composite and put through an immersion test in order to ascertain the material's suitability as a bio-implant. By performing an immersion test in which the specimen's surface area is exposed to a test media that simulates bodily fluids, the degradation behavior of collagen fibres reinforced epoxy matrix composites is studied. The material's mass loss is monitored throughout the test, and the degradation rate is estimated using the mass loss to determine whether the material is suitable for use as a bio-implant. Here, their potential use in orthopedic bone surgery as an implantable material was thought about and researched. Among the orthopedics uses for these composite materials are bone fixation plates, hip joint replacement, bone cement, and bone transplant.

Keywords: PMC, Collagen fibers type I, Epoxy, Degradation.