Abstract
Melt viscosities of poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) samples having different molecular weights were studied using a controlled-strain rotational rheometer under a nitrogen atmosphere. First, PPDO’s thermal stability was evaluated by recording changes in its viscosity with time. The result, that samples’ viscosities decreased with time when heated, demonstrated that PPDO is thermally unstable: its degradation activation energy, obtained by using a modified MacCallum equation, was a relatively low 71.8 kJ/mol K. Next, viscoelastic information was acquired through dynamic frequency measurements, which showed a shear thinning behavior among high molecular weight PPDOs, but a Newtonian flow behavior in a low molecular weight polymer (M w = 18 kDa). Dynamic viscosity values were transferred to steady shear viscosities according to the Cox–Merz rule, and zero shear viscosities were derived according to the Cross model with a shear thinning index of 0.80. Then flow activation energy (48 kJ/mol K) was extrapolated for PPDO melts using an Arrhenius type equation. This activation energy is independent of polymer molecular weight. A linear relationship between zero shear viscosity and molecular weight was obtained using a double-logarithmic plot with a slope of 4.0, which is near the usually observed value of 3.4 for entangled linear polymers. Finally, the rheological behaviors of PPDO polymer blends having bimodal molecular weight distributions were investigated, with the results indicating that the relationship between zero shear viscosity and low molecular weight composition fraction can be described with a Christov model.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Andjelic, B.D. Fitz, J. Polym. Sci. B: Polym. Phys. 38, 2436 (2000)
S. Andjelic, D. Jamiolkowski, J. McDivitt, J. Fischer, J. Zhou, J. Polym. Sci. B: Polym. Phys. 39, 3073 (2001)
S. Andjelic, D. Jamiolkowski, J. McDivitt, J. Fischer, J. Zhou, R. Vetrecin, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 79, 742 (2001)
S. Andjelic, D. Jamiolkowski, J. McDivitt, J. Fischer, J. Zhou, Z.G. Wang, B.S. Hsiao, J. Polym. Sci. B: Polym. Phys. 39, 153 (2001)
Y. Furuhashi, A. Nakayama, T. Monno, Y. Kawahara, H. Yamane, Y. Kimura, T. Iwata, Macromol. Rapid Comm. 25, 1943 (2004)
H.L. Lin, C.C. Chu, D. Grubb, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 27, 153 (1992)
A.R. Katz, D.P. Mukherjee, A.L. Kaganov, S. Gordon, Surg. Gynecol. Obstetr. 161, 213 (1985)
A. Nakayama, Y. Kawahara, M. Tsui, in Polymer Preprints, Japan (The Society of Polymer Science, Japan, 2005), p. 3135
A.P.T. Pezzin, E.A.R. Duek, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 78, 405 (2002)
J.A. Ray, N. Doddi, D. Regula, Surg. Gynecol. Obstetr. 153, 497 (1981)
M.A. Sabino, J.L. Feijoo, A.J. Müller, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 73, 541 (2001)
M.A. Sabino, J.L. Feijoo, O. Nuñez, D. Ajami, J. Mater. Sci. 37, 35 (2002)
M.A. Sabino, L. Sabater, G. Roncal, A.J. Müller, Polym. Bull. 48, 291 (2002)
K. Tomihata, M. Suzuki, Y. Ikada, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 58, 511 (2001)
D.F. Williams, C.C. Chu, in Transactions of the 9th Annual Meeting of the Society for Biomaterials (Society for Biometerials, Birmingham, AL, 1983), p. 110
D.F. Williams, C.C. Chu, J. Dwyer, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 29, 1865 (1984)
K.K. Yang, X.L. Wang, Y.Z. Wang, H.X. Huang, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 100, 2331 (2006)
K.-K. Yang, X.-L. Wang, Y.-Z. Wang, H.-X. Huang, Mater. Chem. Phys. 87, 218 (2004)
M. Gahleitner, Prog. Polym. Sci. 26, 895 (2001)
R.S. Bezwada, D.D. Jamiolkowski, K. Cooper, in Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers, ed. by D.M. Wiseman, J. Kost, A.J. Domb (Harwood Academic, Singapore, 1997)
S.-D. Ding, Y.-Z. Wang, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 91, 2465 (2006)
H. Nishida, M. Yamashita, T. Endo, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 78, 129 (2002)
H. Nishida, M. Yamashita, N. Hattori, T. Endo, Y. Tokiwa, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 70, 485 (2000)
X.-L. Wang, K.-K. Yang, Y.-Z. Wang, B. Wu, Y. Liu, B. Yang, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 81, 415 (2003)
K.-K. Yang, X.-L. Wang, Y.-Z. Wang, B. Wu, Y.-D. Jin, B. Yang, Eur. Polym. J. 39, 1567 (2003)
C.W. Macosko, Rheology: Principles, Measurements, and Applications (WILEY-VCH, New York, 1994)
J.R.T. MacCallum, Eur. Polym. J. 6, 907 (1970)
M.P. Grosvenor, J.N. Staniforth, Int. J. Pharm. 135, 103 (1996)
S. Andjelic, B.D. Fitz, in the Abstracts of 232nd ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA, 2006), p. 821
L.A. Utracki, M.R. Kamal, Polym. Eng. Sci. 22, 96 (1982)
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dennis Jamiolkowski, Dr. Peter Maziarz, and Dr. Meng Deng for providing constructive discussion.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, C., Andjelić, S., Zhou, J. et al. Thermal stability and melt rheology of poly(p-dioxanone). J Mater Sci: Mater Med 19, 3481–3487 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-008-3516-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-008-3516-0