Predicting the strength in hydroxyapatite‐filled nanocomposites through advanced two‐phase modeling

Abstract

The number of modeling studies is insufficient to estimate the mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite (HA)‐polymer nanocomposites. Herein, we present a two‐phase method to predict the strength of HA‐filled nanocomposites. In the first phase, HA and the adjacent interphase are treated as pseudoparticles, and the strength of these pseudoparticles is determined using the Kelly‐Tyson equation. In the next phase, a simple model forecasts the strength of nanocomposites, consisting of the polymer medium and pseudoparticles. The proposed methodology is validated by experimental data and parametric examinations. The properties of the interphase (thickness and strength), along with the HA aspect ratio and HA concentration, directly influences the strength of the nanocomposites. Our calculations also reveal that a minimum HA radius of 6 nm and average HA volume portion of 0.02 can enhance the strength of the samples by 196%. However, further increases in the HA radius lead to a reduction in nanocomposite strength. Additionally, the interphase strength of 50 MPa can improve the strength of samples by 94%. The parametric examinations demonstrate the reasonable influences of all these factors on the nanocomposite strength, thereby supporting the validity of the two‐stage model.Highlights A two‐phase method is presented to predict the strength of HA‐filled nanocomposites. The proposed method is validated by many experimental data and parametric examinations. The thickness and strength of interphase directly influences the strength of nanocomposites. The minimum HA radius of 6 nm can enhance the strength of samples by 196%. The interphase strength of 50 MPa can improve the nanocomposite strength by 94%.