• Hukins, David
• Shepherd, Duncan Et
• Mahomed, Aziza
• Chidi, Nm
• Kukureka, Stephen

Abstract

Cylinders of medical grade silicone elastomers, (29 mm in diameter and 13 mm thick), immersed in physiological saline solution at 37 degrees C, were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). A sinusoidal cyclic compression of 40 +/- 5 N was applied over a frequency range, f, of 0.02-100 Hz. Values of the storage, E', and loss, E", moduli for the cylinders were found to depend on f; the dependence of E' or E" on the logarithm (base 10) off was represented by a third-order polynomial. Above about 0.3 Hz, the cylindrical specimens appeared to be undergoing the onset of a transition from the rubbery to the glassy state. There was no significant difference between results obtained at 37 and 23 degrees C; pretreatment of specimens in physiological saline at 37 degrees C for 24 h and 29 days had no appreciable effect on the results. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals. Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 89B: 210-216, 2009

Topics

• Silicon
• dynamic mechanical analysis
• elastomer