Creep studies of multiphase acrylic systems

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Multiphase acrylic systems are widely used in bioengineering applications.
• Tensile creep properties are critical for the long-term performance and durability of biomaterials.
• Understanding the impact of crosslinking agents is essential for optimizing material behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of five different crosslinking agents on the tensile creep properties of multiphase acrylic systems.
• To compare the creep behavior of heat-polymerized and autopolymerized acrylic materials.
• To evaluate the effect of crosslinking agent type and quantity on creep under varying stress levels and temperatures.

Main Methods:

• Polymerization of methacrylate monomers and poly(methyl methacrylate) powder to create acrylic specimens.
• Utilizing two processing conditions: heat-polymerization (100°C) and autopolymerization (45°C).
• Measuring tensile creep behavior at controlled temperatures (37°C and 50°C) under different stress levels.

Main Results:

• Autopolymerized acrylic materials exhibited higher creep values and more inhomogeneous structures compared to heat-polymerized materials.
• For heat-polymerized materials, creep values decreased with increasing crosslinking agent quantity at high stress levels.
• Systems containing diethyleneglycol dimethacrylate consistently showed higher creep values in both processing conditions.

Conclusions:

• Processing conditions significantly influence the creep behavior of acrylic biomaterials.
• Crosslinking agent concentration is a key factor in enhancing creep resistance, particularly under high stress.
• Diethyleneglycol dimethacrylate may not be optimal for applications requiring low creep in acrylic systems.