Buklovskyi, Stanislav
September 2025
Dissertation submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering.
Dissertation Abstract:
The development of ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) based composite materials continues to present significant opportunities in biomedical engineering, particularly in joint arthroplasty and implant technologies. As applications expand, the need for accurate modeling of microstructure–property relationships to guide informed material design and manufacturing decisions is increasing. This dissertation presents a multiscale numerical modeling framework informed by X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) data to corelate the effective mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of biomedically relevant composite systems with their microstructure.
Two material systems are considered: UHMWPE reinforced with conductive carbon black (CB) nanoparticles, and porous UHMWPE with two processes of pores generation. For CB/UHMWPE composites, complex microstructure with intergranular regions of high CB concentration is observed. Micromechanical modeling methods are applied to model these
regions located between polymer granules. μCT-based representative volume elements are constructed to model the effective mechanical and conductive behavior of CB/UHMWPE via finite element analysis (FEA). Modeling results are compared with experimental measurements. The micromechanical behavior of porous UHMWPE is investigated using both direct imageto-mesh FEA models and individual pore contribution analysis. The modeling results are compared to experimental data.
The methodology presented in this work provides a foundation for integrating material characterization and image-derived modeling into design workflows for advanced UHMWPE composites, supporting decisions in biomedical implant performance and reliability.