Nanoindentation of In Situ Polymers in Hydroxyapatite/Poly-L-Lactide Biocomposites

In order to obtain more accurate properties after compaction of hydroxyapatite (HAp)/poly-L-lactide (PLLA) composite, high-resolution measurement of mechanical properties method is proposed to determine the properties of each phase separately, leading to information that are valuable for the development of new materials as well as for predictive modeling purposes. The PLLA polymer processing conditions used in hot pressing of the composite strongly influence final mechanical properties of the material in the solid state. Since the aim was to measure PLLA material properties, acceptable findings could only be made using unconstrained, cured in situ nanoindentation tests. A finite element analysis of the in situ indentation experiment was performed to determine required size of plain polymer area, needed for indentation test, which would minimize the particle influence on the matrix elastic behavior.