Creep studies of multiphase acrylic systems.

The influence of type and quantity of five different crosslinking agents on tensile creep properties of multiphase acrylic systems has been studied. The polymeric materials, commonly applied in bioengineering, were processed by polymerization of a mixture of liquid methacrylate monomers and poly(methyl methacrylate) powder. The specimens were made with various ratios of methyl methacrylate and crosslinking agents in the monomer liquid. Two different processing conditions were used, i.e., heat-polymerization at 100 degrees C and autopolymerization at 45 degrees C. Creep behavior was determined at 37 +/- 0.2 degrees C and 50 +/- 0.5 degrees C. The investigation showed higher creep values for autopolymerized than for heat-polymerized materials. In heat-polymerized materials the creep curves showed little variation with type and quantity of crosslinking agents at low stress levels. However, at high stress levels the creep values decreased with increasing quantity of crosslinking agents. The autopolymerized materials showed a more inhomogeneous structure, and great variation in creep. Both among the heat-polymerized and autopolymerized materials, the systems with diethyleneglycol dimethacrylate clearly deviated from the others by showing higher creep values.