Preparation and characterization of acrylic bone cement with poly(methyl methacrylate)/montmorillonite nanocomposite beads

Poly(methyl methacrylate)/montmorillonite nanocomposites were incorporated into acrylic bone cement in order to improve the mechanical properties and reduce the exotherm of acrylic bone cement. The nanocomposites were prepared using a suspension polymerization and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, particle size analyzer and electron dispersive spectroscopy. The acrylic bone cements with poly(methyl methacrylate)/nanocomposites were prepared and their thermal and mechanical properties were characterized. The prepared polymeric beads were composed of polymer-intercalated nanocomposites with partially exfoliated MMT layers, and the mean diameter of them was 50-60 μm with the spherical shape. The maximum setting temperature of the acrylic bone cements decreased from 98 to 81-87°C. The mechanical strengths and moduli of the acrylic bone cement with 0.1 wt% MMT were increased, compared to that without MMT. However, the mechanical properties were generally decreased with increasing incorporated MMT amounts. It is presumably due to the bubbles in nanocomposite beads generated during polymerization.