Sharif Digital Repository

In the last three decades, nanoclay fillers have been increasingly used to improve the mechanical, thermal, barrier and biological properties of the polymers. Nevertheless, incorporation of clays into the hydrophobic polymer matrices leads to the formation of the microcomposites with the minimal improvement in properties. To overcome the intrinsic incompatibility between the clays and the hydrophobic polymers, clay particles are organophilized using organic modifiers. The organic modifier should be thermodynamically miscible with the polymer. In the case of the composites prepared at high temperatures, the organic modifier should also have a high thermal stability to withstand the processing... 

Nowadays, cervical disorders are common due to human lifestyles. Accordingly, the cage design should be optimized as an essential issue. For an optimal design, an objective function is utilized to calculate the proper geometrical parameters. Additionally, the base material of the cage plays a key role in its functionality and final cost. Novel materials are currently introduced with more compatibility with the bone in terms of mechanical and chemical properties. In this study, a cervical cage was modeled based on PEEK material with three types of tooth designs on its surface. The cervical cage is assumed to be implanted between C6 and C7 vertebrae. The geometric parameters of the cage were...