Mechanical Behavior of Polymers for Use in Cardiac Prostheses

(Preliminary Studies of Mechanical Properties of Polymers at Room Temperature in Air)

Abstract

As a series of integrated studies on mechanical behavior of materials for use in cardiac prostheses and their design, static and dynamic mechanical properties of five kinds of candidate elastomers are evaluated by uniaxial tests at room temperature in air.
Avcothane 51 (AVD), which is an Avco's copolymer of polyurethane and silicone, has an unstable mechanical properties under cyclic loading and gradually stiffens by the dynamic deformation. Although Hexsyn (GOP), Goodyear's polyolefin rubber, is fairly stable and highly flexible under the dynamic condition, its strength and ductility are relatively low compared with those of the other materials. Texin (MUP), Mobay's polyurehtane, has highest elastic moduli under the static and dynamic conditions. As compared with these three materials, Biomer (EBB), Ethicon's polyurethane, and Toyobo's segmented polyether polyurethane (TBU2D) have high flexibility, strength and ductility, and their mechanical properties are very stable under the cyclic loading condition. It is concluded from the mechanical point of view that these two materials are acceptable for flexible components of cardiac prostheses.