Study On The Adhesive Properties Between Silicone Rubber And Peek

To evaluate the effects of different surface treatment methods on the bonding strength between polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and medical silicone rubber. Forty sanded PEEK specimens were randomly divided into five groups for distinct surface treatments: P-PEEK group (untreated control), D-PEEK group (heated in DMSO), B-PEEK group (treated with NaBH₄), S-PEEK group (treated with 98% H₂SO₄), and BS-PEEK group (sulfonation combined with NaBH₄). Surface morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, surface functional groups were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, wettability was assessed through contact angle measurements, and bonding strength with medical silicone rubber was determined using a universal testing machine (n=8 per group), with cytotoxicity evaluation. Significant surface etching was observed in B-PEEK, S-PEEK and BS-PEEK groups, with additional porous structures formed in S-PEEK and BS-PEEK specimens. The S-PEEK group exhibited the smallest contact angle (32.4°). The BS-PEEK group demonstrated the highest bonding strength (2.58±0.46 MPa), significantly exceeding other groups. All treatment methods showed no cytotoxicity. The combined sulfonation and NaBH₄ reduction treatment significantly enhances the bonding strength between PEEK and silicone rubber through synergistic improvement of surface topography and chemical properties, while maintaining excellent biocompatibility.