Читать книгу Materials for Biomedical Engineering - Mohamed N. Rahaman - Страница 158

In this chapter, we discussed how a three‐dimensional material responds to an applied physical stimulus such as a mechanical stress, an electric field, a magnetic field or an electromagnetic field (light). Overall, the response has its origins in the atomic structure (atomic bonding) of the material.

 The physical properties of a material, such as strength, elastic modulus, electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, thermal conductivity, and refractive index are controlled by its atomic structure and they can be modified by the microstructure of the material

 An understanding of the mechanisms by which materials respond to an applied physical stimulus and how the properties of materials depend on their atomic bonding and microstructure is critical in designing and creating biomaterials with a desirable combination of properties for the intended application

 Mechanical properties are among the most important physical properties for biomaterials that are subjected to mechanical stresses at some point or during their entire application. Consequently, designing biomaterials for mechanical reliability must take into account the inherent response of different types of materials to stresses.

 As the applications of biomaterials normally involve a combination of physical properties, an understanding of other physical properties in addition to, or instead of mechanical properties, is desirable.