Abstract

In this work, mixtures of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were prepared by dissolution, to study their miscibility and possible future applications in the development of bone cements. Formulations were prepared in proportions of 70/30 and 50/50 (PMMA/PVA). The compatibility was studied by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) was used to evaluate the thermal stability of the materials. The morphology of all materials was exposed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Significant shifts in the absorptions of the carbonyl groups of PMMA and hydroxyl groups of PVA were detected by infrared, which would be associated with the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds of the type PVA−O−H−O=C−PMMA. The thermal behavior of the polyblends obtained by DSC showed a direct correlation with their composition, with two well-defined Tg values shifted to values lower than the Tg of the pure polymers. These results would indicate the formation of partially miscible mixtures between both polymers. The thermal stability of the mixtures obtained by TGA was slightly higher than that of the polymers alone. SEM revealed a morphology consisting of dense droplets and particles for PMMA, with a multimodal size distribution between 5 and 50 um, embedded in a highly porous structure with interconnected multichannels, associated with PVA. These results were decisive in corroborating the formation of partially miscible mixtures prepared in solution from PMMA and PVA.