Sintering ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene
AssigneeSmith & Nephew Orthopaedics AG
InventorsPaul Smith, Jeroen Visjager, Theo Tervoort
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Abstract
Articles made of and/or including ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UMWPE) having increased strength and/or wear resistance, such as high yield strength, high tensile strength, high load strength, and/or high impact strength. Some embodiments of articles made of and/or including UHMWPE having increased strength and/or wear resistance, such as that listed above, include UHMWPE having co-monomers.
Claims45
1-41. (canceled)
An article comprising UHMWPE:
- having a yield strength of at least 5 MPa;
- an elongation at break of at least 30%;
- tensile strength of at least 10 MPa;
- and
- double notched izod impact strength of at least 0.25 J/m.
An article comprising UHMWPE copolymer having a co-monomer content of up to about 5 wt %;
- having a yield strength of at least 5 MPa;
- an elongation at break of at least 30%;
- tensile strength of at least 10 MPa;
- and
- double notched izod impact strength of at least 0.25 J/m.
An article comprising polyethylene having a weight average molecular weight in the range of about 150,000 to 500,000 g/mol;
- a number average molecular weight of more than 50,000 g/mol;
- a polydispersity in the range of 1.3 to 10;
- and;
- wherein the polyethylene comprises co-monomer, the co-monomer being present in less than 3 mol % and in the range of 0.5 to 10 wt %, and wherein the co-monomer is selected from the group consisting of propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-pentene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene.
Polyethylene comprising:
- a weight average molecular weight in the range of 150,000 to 700,000 g/mol;
- a number average weight of at least 25,000 g/mol;
- and
- a polydispersity in the range of 1.3 to 10.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.