Comparative study of mechanical behavior of low- and high-density polyethylene based on UVB sterilization for medical usage

The aim of this research is to investigate the sterilizing effect of UVB radiation on the degradation and oxidation of low- and high-density polyethylene specimens using ASTM 638 and 695. Polyethylene is a reliable, efficient, and low-cost biomaterial and an alternative to various bone transplants. Twenty high-density polyethylene (HDPE) specimens and twenty low-density polyethylene (LDPE) specimens were used for tensile and compression testing. The dosage of 13.5 J/cm 2 was chosen with an exposure time of 48 minutes during the sterilization process. In terms of mechanical tensile properties, LDPE has a lower effect compared with HDPE. The p-value of yield stress equals 3.008×10 −4 , the p-value of ultimate stress equals 2.5×10 −4 , and the p-value of break stress equals 0.0075.