POLYMERIC MATERIALS

• US 20110151259A1
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Invibio Limited (Victrex PLC)
• Original Assignee: Invibio Limited (Victrex PLC)
• Inventors: Devine, John, Elleray, Andrew, Jarman-Smith, Marcus, Whitehead, Tony
• Application Number:
  US13/054,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20110151259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/402
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2201/044 Elimination of an inorganic solid phase
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2201/0442 the inorganic phase being a metal, its oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2201/0444 Salts
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2371/10 from phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/203 Solid polymers with solid and/or liquid additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/26 by elimination of a solid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. leaching out
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

Pellets or granules comprise polymeric material, for example polyetheretherketone and a fugitive material, for example sodium chloride. The granules may be used in injection moulding to produce shapes for use in medical implants and may conveniently be used to form parts which are partially porous, or to prepare porous films.

Claims

1. A mass of material comprising particles which include polymeric material and fugitive material, wherein said polymeric material includes a repeat unit of general formula

2. A mass according to claim 1, which includes particles having a volume in the range 0.1 to 1 ml.

3. A mass according to claim 1, wherein the average volume of said particles is at least 0.1 ml and is less than 0.8 ml.

4. A mass according to claim 1, wherein the average weight of particles in the mass of material is in the range 0.01 g to 0.1 g.

5. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said particles are pellets or granules.

6. A mass according to claim 1, which includes particles comprising 40 to 80 wt % of fugitive material and 20 to 60 wt % of said polymeric material.

7. A mass according to claim 1 which consists essentially of said polymeric material and fugitive material.

8. A mass according to claim 1, wherein at least 90 wt % of said mass of material is made up of a single polymeric material and a single fugitive material.

9. A mass of material according to claim 1, wherein a said particle in said mass of material includes fused polymeric material.

13. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said polymeric material comprises a repeat unit of formula (XX)

14. A mass according to claim 13, wherein t1=1, v1=0 and w1=0.

15. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said fugitive material has a melting point which is greater than the melting point of said polymeric material.

16. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said fugitive material dispersed in particles in said mass of material has a D₅₀ in the range 1 to 20000 μ

m.

17. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said fugitive material is arranged to be dissolved away from the polymeric material in a subsequent process step using a biologically safe solvent.

18. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said fugitive material comprises a salt, metal oxide or glass.

19. A mass according to claim 1, wherein said particles consist essentially of a single type of polymeric material and a single type of fugitive material.

20. A mass according to claim 1 which comprises polyetheretherketone and sodium chloride and said mass is in the form of pellets or granules having a volume in the range 0.1 to 1 ml and the average weight of particles in the mass of material is in the range 0.01 g to 0.1 g.

21. A method of making a mass of material according to claim 1, the method comprising:

(a) melt-processing a mixture comprising polymeric material and fugitive material; and

(b) forming said mixture into particles.

22. A method according to claim 21, which includes a step (a)* prior to step (a) which comprises forming said mixture, wherein step (a)* involves selecting polymeric material and fugitive material and contacting them when the polymeric material is molten.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein melt-processing of the mixture is undertaken in an extruder.

24. A method of making a component, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a mass of material comprising particles which include polymeric material and fugitive material as described in claim 1;

(b) melt-processing said mass of material to define at least a part of the component; and

(c) optionally, removing the fugitive material.

26. A method according to claim 24, which comprises making a component (or part thereof) which includes regions of different compositions, wherein a first region is made by moulding a mass of material comprising particles which include polymeric material and fugitive material, wherein said polymeric material includes a repeat unit of general formula

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein a component (or part thereof) is made which includes regions of different porosities or regions which include different levels of fugitive material.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein when said method includes removing said fugitive material in step (c), the method comprises contacting a product formed after melt-processing in step (b) with a means for removing the fugitive material, so as to define porosity.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said means for removing the fugitive material is arranged to solubilise said fugitive material.

30. A method according to claim 28 wherein said means for removing the fugitive material comprises contacting the product formed after melt processing with a solvent formulation which is at a temperature of greater than 100°

C. and a pressure above ambient pressure thereby to charge the solvent formulation with fugitive material and separating the charged solvent from the product.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

31. (canceled)