Degradation of medical-grade polyurethane elastomers: the effect of hydrogen peroxide in vitro.

Treatment of Pellethane 2363-80A--a medical-grade poly(tetramethylene oxide)-based polyurethane elastomer--with 25% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide at 100 degrees C for times ranging from 24 h to 336 h led to significant decreases in ultimate tensile properties and decreases in molecular weight, both at the surface and in the bulk. IR spectral changes were similar to those observed after degradation in vivo. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that hydrogen-peroxide-induced degradation was associated with greater order in the hard domain and greater mobility in the soft domain. Studies conducted with low-molecular-weight model compounds for the hard and soft segments confirmed that methylene groups adjacent to oxygen were susceptible toward oxidation. The extent of degradation of a series of commercial polyurethanes on treatment with hydrogen peroxide (25%, 24 h, 100 degrees C) correlated well with their reported susceptibility to environmental stress cracking in vivo.