Improving mechanical properties of laminated biocomposites for artificial lower limb socket

Abstract

People need artificial limbs for many reasons, such as illness, injury, or a gene problem. However, these limbs must be changed often because the human body changes as it gains or loses weight. This study examines whether plant fibers could be used instead of metal to make sockets for lower limb prosthetics using a vacuum bagging process. The laminates were formed using woven ramie fiber, bamboo fiber, carbon fiber, glass fiber, Kevlar fiber, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene UHMWPE fiber. Several mechanical tests, such as impact, maximum shear stress, and flexural tests, were done to investigate the effect of different ways of stacking the fibers on certain mechanical and physical properties. The goal was to find out how changing the orientation and distribution of the fibers affected the composite's properties and how it worked. The outcomes of the tests were evaluated and analyzed to identify the optimal stacking pattern that would yield the desired properties for the composite material. The present investigation demonstrated that the incorporation of diverse reinforcing agents into composite materials exerted a significant influence on their mechanical strength. The composite's properties, such as flexibility, stress tolerance, and toughness upon fracture, improved proportionally with the increasing addition of these materials. The sample with the lamination of (2 perlon + 2 ramie + 2 carbon + 2 ramie + 2 perlon) fiber layers has shown a good impact strength of 81 KJ/m2, a maximum shear stress of 6.07 MPa, and a fracture strength of 174.1 MPa. Novel findings regarding the effect of altering the orientation and distribution of these fibers on the composite's properties could develop more effective prosthetic materials.

Keywords

• bamboo fibers, lower limb, mechanical properties, plant fiber, prosthetic socket, ramie mat.