Metallic glass-coated composite polyethylene terephthalate artificial ligament with enhanced mechanical and frictional wear properties

Gadolinium (Gd) and yttrium (Y) elements were added to the composition design and sputtering process to create a composite artificial ligament with enhanced mechanical and frictional wear performance. Due to the oxidative and adhesive wear mechanisms, MgZnCaY metallic glass (MG) films exhibit a reduced scratch depth, a lower friction coefficient, and better wear resistance than MgZnCaGd. The wear coefficients of MgZnCaGd and MgZnCaY are 1.45 ± 0.04 and 0.99 ± 0.068, respectively. MgZnCaY MG coating has a higher hardness (8.64 ± 0.01 GPa) and Young's modulus (144.67 ± 1.57 GPa) than MgZnCaGd MG coating (4.90 ± 1.86 GPa, 110.4 ± 23.2 GPa). The MgZnCaY composite-coated artificial ligament has 49.02 MPa and 18.54% elongation at break, compared to 49.86 MPa and 15.19% for the MgZnCaGd coating. The results of the mechanical test shows that the coated composite artificial ligament allows for greater fracture elongation and appropriate stiffness during the stretching process. Because of the formation of Y₂O₃, which can strengthen the interfacial bonding strength between the adhesive layer and the ligament matrix, increase the adherence of oxides, and reduce the likelihood of oxide delamination, artificial ligaments coated with MgZnGaY also perform exceptionally well mechanically. The current research findings provide new insights for the design of composite artificial ligaments and present promising materials for applications in the field of artificial ligaments.