Pilot-scale synthesis and rheological assessment of poly(methyl methacrylate) polymers: perspectives for medical application.

This work presents the rheological assessment of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymers synthesized in a dedicated pilot-scale plant. This material is to be used for the construction of scaffolds via Rapid Prototyping (RP). The polymers were prepared to match the physical and biological properties required for medical applications. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) measurements verified that the synthesized polymers were atactic, amorphous and linear in chains. Rheological properties such as viscosity, storage and loss modulus, beyond the loss factor, and creep and recovery were measured in a plate-plate sensor within the viscoelastic linear region. The results showed the relevant influence of the molecular weight on the viscosity and elasticity of the material, and how, as the molecular weight increases, the viscoelastic properties are getting closer to those of human bone. This article demonstrates that by using the implemented methodology it is possible to synthesize a polymer, with properties comparable to commercially-available PMMA.