A new process for the production of bone cement by gelled suspension polymerization of MMA

A new suspension polymerization process, utilizing a water-agarose gel as suspending phase, is described. In the early stage of the process, the monomer is dispersed in the water-agarose solution by adequate stirring, then the solution gelifies and polymerization starts. By this technique, PMMA powders adequate for bone cement production were obtained. Several tests were performed on the polymer obtained in order to determine its basic physicochemical properties: viscometric tests, GPC tests, DSC tests, granulometric distribution analysis and SEM analysis. The measured properties show that the material obtained can be satisfactorily compared with the existing commercial powders for bone cements.