Properties and performance of sulfide-substituted plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) as a biomaterial

Abstract

Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was surface modified by nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atoms of PVC by sulfide ions in aqueous media in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst (PTC) to make it migration resistant. The modified PVC was sterilized by steam autoclaving and gamma radiation and subjected to plasticizer extraction in an extraction medium such as hexane. Virtually no plasticizer migrated out of modified PVC into the medium even after prolonged incubation for 30 d. The properties of the modified surface were evaluated by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cell-culture studies, hemolysis assay, and whole-blood clotting time measurements. The mechanical properties of modified sheets were evaluated by measurements of tensile strength and strain at break after subjecting the specimens to different modes of sterilization. The modified PVC surface showed enhanced wettability and was found to be non-hemolytic and non-cytotoxic. Whole-blood clotting profiles of unmodified and modified PVC were virtually the same. Modification imparted slight yellow color to the material. Surface modification resulted in an 8% decrease in the ultimate stress and 28% decrease in the strain at break values. The sulfide-substituted PVC was found to be blood compatible and would be useful in applications such as tubing for transfusion, dialysis etc., where migration resistance is important.