Multilayered samples of Ti-Pd with linearly varying compositions were irradiated by Xe ions at 600 keV. The induced microstructures were studied by using transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering. Mixing was found to be complete over the entire composition range, resulting in amorphous or amorphous plus crystalline structures except at the palladium-rich end, where a crystalline Pd-Ti solid solution was obtained. This is consistent with the high equilibrium solubility of Ti in Pd. In addition, significant coarsening of the microstructure caused by irradiation was found in this solid solution region.

Friction measurements were carried out in air and water by using a polytetrafluoroethylene pin as a counterpart. In air the friction coefficient was independent of composition and microstructure after about 2000 passes. In water, however, after 600 passes the friction coefficient reached a steady-state value with a pronounced minimum over the amorphous region. This property was unchanged throughout the remaining 10000 passes.

Surface analysis of biomedical materials is necessary for determination of surface structure/biological property relationships. Previous studies [3,6] have demonstrated the applicability of Angle Resolved X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS or ARESCA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) sampling. Using these surface sensitive techniques on currently marketed segmented polyurethanes (SPU) (Biomer TMand Cardiothane-51TM), we have investigated chemical and morpholgical differences between polymeric mixtures cast from solvents of varying polarity. These materials are used because of their resistance to degradation and hydrolysis.

Results will show: (1) Selective casting of different constituents of the mixture as monitored by FT-IR, where polymers can be represented as opposed to block copolymers; (2) Correlation between the Hildebrand solubility parameter of the casting solvent and the portion of the polymer selectively cast; (3) Models of solution cast polymers will be presented including (concentration gradient) of the constituents; (4) SEM micrographs will provide information on domain size and the formation of these solution cast films; (5) Depths and concentration gradients will be estimated by comparing results from AHXPS and variable angle FT-IR/ATR.

The softening of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in the body environment represents one of the major advantages of these biomaterials. Although the literature contains an abundance of hydrolytic stability data, almost no information exists describing the softening of these materials in the body. A series of polyether-based TPUs, consequently, was synthesized based on 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate/1,4-butanediol hard segment and polytetramethylene ether glycol soft segment and the effect of simulated body environment (37°C n-saline) was studied as a function of the hard segment content and the soft segment glycol molecular weight. A mechanism and phenomenological analysis of this softening are offered and discussed in terms of TPU morphology. Both water and heat, for example, plasticize the TPU to increase the chain mobility; in the body environment this results in a reversible reduction in elastic modulus.