{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T04:51:33Z","timestamp":1790484693083,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]],"date-time":"2018-02-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1519171200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Bioengineering"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The effects of the sterilization process have been studied on medical grade thermoplastic polyetheretherketone (PEEK). For a reusable medical device, material reliability is an important parameter to decide its lifetime, as it will be subjected to the continuous steam sterilization process. A spring nature, clip component was selected out of a newly designed medical device (patented) to perform this reliability study. This clip component was sterilized for a predetermined number of cycles (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20\u2026100) at 121 \u00b0C for 30 min. A significant decrease of ~20% in the compression force of the spring was observed after 30 cycles, and a ~6% decrease in the lateral dimension of the clip was observed after 50 cycles. No further significant change in the compression force or dimension was observed for the subsequent sterilization cycles. Vickers hardness and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques were used to characterize the effects of sterilization. DSC results exhibited no significant change in the degree of cure and melting behavior of PEEK before and after the sterilization. Hardness measurement exhibited an increase of ~49% in hardness after just 20 cycles. When an unsterilized sample was heated for repetitive cycles without the presence of moisture (121 \u00b0C, 10 and 20 cycles), only ~7% of the maximum change in hardness was observed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bioengineering5010018","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]],"date-time":"2018-02-21T06:33:39Z","timestamp":1519194819000},"page":"18","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":44,"title":["Effects of Sterilization Cycles on PEEK for Medical Device Application"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8824-5720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amit","family":"Kumar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College Central, Institute of Technical Education, 2 Ang Mo Kio Drive, Singapore 567720, Singapore"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wai Teng","family":"Yap","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College Central, Institute of Technical Education, 2 Ang Mo Kio Drive, Singapore 567720, Singapore"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Soo Leong","family":"Foo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College Central, Institute of Technical Education, 2 Ang Mo Kio Drive, Singapore 567720, Singapore"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1038-1188","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teck Kheng","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College Central, Institute of Technical Education, 2 Ang Mo Kio Drive, Singapore 567720, Singapore"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1747-1567.1994.tb00303.x","article-title":"Performance characterization and modeling of a composite hip prosthesis","volume":"18","author":"Liao","year":"1994","journal-title":"Exp. Tech."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Jamison, R.D., and Gilbertson, L.N. (1993). Intraoperative impact: Characterization and laboratory simulation on composite hip prostheses. Composite Materials for Implant Applications in the Human Body: Characterization and Testing, ASTM."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1593","DOI":"10.1177\/002199839703101603","article-title":"Composite implant for bone replacement","volume":"31","author":"Kelsey","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Compos. Mater."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"2","article-title":"Design, analysis, and fabrication of a composite segmental bone replacement implant","volume":"28","author":"Corvelli","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"8","article-title":"New horizons for thermoplastic polymers","volume":"12","author":"Williams","year":"2001","journal-title":"Med. Device Technol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"724","DOI":"10.1016\/S0043-1648(99)00026-5","article-title":"Suitability and limitations of carbon fiber reinforced PEEK composites as bearing surfaces for total joint replacements","volume":"225","author":"Wang","year":"1999","journal-title":"Wear"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Jones, E., Wang, A., and Streicher, R. (2001, January 24\u201329). Validating the limits for a PEEK composite as an acetabular wear surface. Proceedings of the 27th annual meeting of Society of Biomaterials, St Paul, MN, USA."},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"1","article-title":"Comparative in vitro wear testing of PEEK and UHMWPE capped metacarpophalangeal prostheses","volume":"16","author":"Joyce","year":"2006","journal-title":"Biomed. Mater. Eng."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Manley, M., Ong, K., Kurtz, S.M., Rushton, N., and Field, R.E. (2007, January 11\u201314). Biomechanics of a PEEK horseshoe-shaped cup: Comparisons with a predicate deformable cup. Proceedings of the Transactions of the 53rd Orthopedic Research Society, San Diego, CA, USA."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1635","DOI":"10.1016\/j.engfracmech.2007.06.005","article-title":"Numerical simulations of impact behaviour of thin steel plates subjected to cylindrical, conical and hemispherical non-deformable projectiles","volume":"75","author":"Arias","year":"2007","journal-title":"Eng. Fract. Mech."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kurtz, S. (2012). Fracture, fatigue and noch behavior of PEEK. PEEK Biomaterials Handbook, William Andrew Books.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-1-4377-4463-7.10001-6"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"336","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matdes.2014.10.080","article-title":"Characterization and modeling of the strain rate sensitivity of polyetheretherketone\u2019s compressive yield stress","volume":"66","author":"Othman","year":"2015","journal-title":"Mater. Des."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4845","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2007.07.013","article-title":"PEEK biomaterials in trauma, orthopedic, and spinal implants","volume":"28","author":"Kurtz","year":"2007","journal-title":"Biomaterials"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"598","DOI":"10.1016\/j.polymer.2006.11.032","article-title":"The mechanical properties of poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) with emphasis on the large compressive strain response","volume":"48","author":"Rae","year":"2007","journal-title":"Polymer"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actbio.2006.11.005","article-title":"The influence of sterilization processes on the micromechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK composites for bone implant applications","volume":"3","author":"Godara","year":"2007","journal-title":"Acta Biomater."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"849","DOI":"10.1016\/S1359-8368(99)00048-7","article-title":"Influences of thermal cycling and low-energy impact on the fatigue behavior of carbon\/PEEK laminates","volume":"30","author":"Tai","year":"1999","journal-title":"Compos. Part B Eng."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1001","DOI":"10.1016\/j.polymertesting.2013.05.012","article-title":"Strength of poly-ether-ether-ketone: Effects of sterilisation and thermal ageing","volume":"32","author":"Xin","year":"2013","journal-title":"Polym. Test."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"(2017, December 14). Ensinger Engineering plastics: Manual. Available online: https:\/\/www.ensingerplastics.com\/downloads."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"(2017, December 14). Ensinger TECAPEEK. Available online: https:\/\/www.ensingerplastics.com\/en\/shapes\/biocompatible-medical-grade\/peek."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"(2017, December 14). Roechling SUSTAPEEK. Available online: https:\/\/www.roechling.com\/sg\/industrial\/materials\/thermoplastics\/detail\/sustapeek-mg-natural-203\/."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Leong, F.S., Wei, N.K., Quan, G.J., Hua, T.P., Kheng, L.T., Hui, W.Q., Edmund, C., and Kesavan, E. (2016). System and apparatus for guiding an instrument. (US20160206383 A1), U.S. Patent."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcis.2005.12.023","article-title":"Temperature effect during humid ageing on interfaces of glass and carbon fibers reinforced epoxy composites","volume":"298","author":"Ray","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Colloid Interface Sci."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1080\/00218467608075078","article-title":"Hydrothermal aging of compositematerials. 1. Aspects","volume":"8","author":"Kaelble","year":"1976","journal-title":"J. Adhes."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1080\/00218468108071196","article-title":"Moisture in epoxy resin composites","volume":"2","author":"Marom","year":"1981","journal-title":"J. Adhes."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2527","DOI":"10.1002\/app.1985.070300619","article-title":"The effects of hygrothermal fatigue on physical mechanical properties and morphology on neat epoxy-resin and graphite composite","volume":"30","author":"Mijovic","year":"1985","journal-title":"J. Appl. Poly. Sci."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1163\/156856103762302014","article-title":"Moisture absorption and wet-adhesion properties of resin transfer molded (RTM) composites containing elastomer-coated glass fibers","volume":"17","author":"Barraza","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Adhes. Sci. Technol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1465","DOI":"10.1177\/002199839302701503","article-title":"Synergistic thermal\u2014Moisture damage mechanisms of epoxy and their carbon-fiber composites","volume":"27","author":"Zheng","year":"1993","journal-title":"J. Compos. Mater."}],"container-title":["Bioengineering"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-5354\/5\/1\/18\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T14:55:44Z","timestamp":1760194544000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-5354\/5\/1\/18"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]]},"references-count":27,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,3]]}},"alternative-id":["bioengineering5010018"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bioengineering5010018","relation":{},"ISSN":["2306-5354"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2306-5354","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]]}}}