| Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) has been widely used in the medical field. However, a better understanding of the factors that control the mechanical properties of PVA is necessary to produce materials with consistent, repeatable mechanical properties for medical device applications. The use of sodium-montmorillonite nanoparticles to increase the overall strength of the PVA material was also investigated. The effects of PVA concentration, number of thermal cycles, thawing rate, and Na-montmorillonite concentration were investigated by analysis of the stress-strain and stress relaxation behaviour of the materials. All factors had a significant effect on the modulus of the material. The nanoparticles added in very small concentrations to the material were successful in increasing the modulus 2 to 3 times above the modulus of the corresponding PVA. The 15% PVA cycled 5 times at 0.1°C/min mimicked the mechanical properties of the porcine aortic root. Proposed applications of this material include artificial valve stents, vascular grafts, and vascular shunts. |
