Table 6.
Significant physical properties of several of the most common polymers [71].
| Polymer | Glass melting point Tm | Glass transition point | Biodegradation time (months) | Compressive strength | Tensile strength | Modulus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 0.1–1.0 | 0.4–4.0 | 170 | |||
| PMMA | 3.5 | 1.5 | 160 | |||
| PDLLA | Amorphous | 55–60 | 12–16 | Pellet: 150* | Film or disk: 29–35 | Film or disk: 1.9–2.4 |
| PLLA | 173–178 | 60–65 | >24 | Pellet: 120* | Film or disk: 28–50 Fiber: 870–2300 |
Film or disk: 1.2–3.0 Fiber: 10–16 |
| PGA | 225–230 | 35–40 | 6–12 | Fiber: 340–920 | Fiber: 7–14 | |
| PLGA | Amorphous | 45–55 | Adjustable: 1–12 | 41.4–55.2 | 1.4–2.8 | |
| PPF | N/A | Bulk | 30* | 2 | ||
| PCL | 58 | −72 | >24 | |||
| PHA and blends | 120–177 | −2 to 4 | Bulk | 20–43 | ||
| Poly(anhydrides) | 150–200 | Surface | 40* | 25–27 | 0.14–1.4 | |
| Poly(ortho esters) | 30–100 | Surface | 16* | 2.5–4.4 | ||
| Polyphosphazene | −66 to 50 | 242 | Surface |