A nanostructured carbon-reinforced polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic elastomer

Published Date
Biomaterials
March 2010, Vol.31(9):2477–2488, doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2009.12.003

Author 

Dedicated to Joseph P. Kennedy on the occasion of his 82nd birthday.

• Judit E. Puskas ^a,,
• Elizabeth A. Foreman-Orlowski ^a
• Goy Teck Lim ^a
• Sara E. Porosky ^a
• Michelle M. Evancho-Chapman ^b
• Steven P. Schmidt ^b
• Mirosława El Fray ^c
• Marta Piątek ^c
• Piotr Prowans ^d
• Krystal Lovejoy ^e

• aDepartment of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
• bBiomedical Research Associates, 526 S. Main St., Akron, OH 44311, USA
• cPolymer Institute, Division of Biomaterials and Microbiological Technologies, Szczecin University of Technology, 70-322 Szczecin, Poland
• dClinic of General and Hand Surgery, Pomeranian Medical Academy in Szczecin, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
• ePolyInsight, LLC, 526 S. Main St. Akron, OH 44325, USA

Received 8 November 2009. Accepted 1 December 2009. Available online 24 December 2009. 

Abstract

This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of a polyisobutylene (PIB)-based nanostructured carbon-reinforced thermoplastic elastomer. This thermoplastic elastomer is based on a self-assembling block copolymer having a branched PIB core carrying –OH functional groups at each branch point, flanked by blocks of poly(isobutylene-co-para-methylstyrene). The block copolymer has thermolabile physical crosslinks and can be processed as a plastic, yet retains its rubbery properties at room temperature. The carbon-reinforced thermoplastic elastomer had more than twice the tensile strength of the neat polymer, exceeding the strength of medical grade silicone rubber, while remaining significantly softer. The carbon-reinforced thermoplastic elastomer displayed a high T_g of 126 °C, rendering the material steam-sterilizable. The carbon also acted as a free radical trap, increasing the onset temperature of thermal decomposition in the neat polymer from 256.6 °C to 327.7 °C. The carbon-reinforced thermoplastic elastomer had the lowest water contact angle at 82° and surface nano-topography. After 180 days of implantation into rabbit soft tissues, the carbon-reinforced thermoplastic elastomer had the thinnest tissue capsule around the microdumbbell specimens, with no eosinophiles present. The material also showed excellent integration into bones.

Keywords

Biomaterials

SIBS

Carbon-reinforced thermoplastic elastomer

Mechanical properties

Hydrolytic stability

In vivo biocompatibility

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