Diminution of weight and heat accumulation in transfemoral socket using PE/MWCNT composite

Abstract

The socket plays an important role in prostheses by providing structural integrity and suspension to the distal thigh of an amputee. Heat accumulation and weight of the socket increase the energy consumption in the amputee. To overcome the same, widely used polyester-based sandwich-structured composite was reinforced with 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1 wt% multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and analyzed for the thermal and mechanical properties. MWCNT added in a small weight proportion with polyester enhances the mechanical properties of the resulting nanocomposites as they have excellent mechanical and physical properties. The flexural and thermal property was evaluated as per ASTM D790 and ISO 22007-2 standard. It was noticed that the thermal property enhances with increase in wt% of MWCNT and mechanical properties decreased when more than 0.6 wt% MWCNT was reinforced. Hence, the sandwich-structured composite was prepared using polyester resin, 2 to 10 stockinette layers, fiberglass cloth, and 0.6 wt% of MWCNT. The thermal conductivity and flexural strength of 0.6 wt% MWCNT-reinforced sandwich-structured composite were enhanced upto 68.4% and 11.4% for 2-10 stockinette layers, respectively, while comparing to the unreinforced polyester sandwich-structured composite. The 0.6 wt% MWCNT-reinforced sandwich-structured composite may help in reducing the weight and heat build up in the socket. Hence, it is recommended to analyze further on their application in transfemoral socket preparation to bring down an amputee’s metabolic cost.