PROCESS FOR PRODUCING POLY(p-DIOXANONE), AND POLY(p-DIOXANONE) MONOFILAMENT AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

The ring opening polymerization of p-dioxanone is started in a liquid phase under stirring at a temperature of 85 to 105 DEG C after adding 0.002 to 0.005 mol percent of stannous 2-ethylhexanoate forming a white crystal at a temperature of 0 DEG C as a catalyst and 0.01 to 0.1 mol percent of initiator. Stirring is stopped when a stirring load has increased by 10 to 100 percent over an initial load, while the temperature is lowered to a range of 65 to 85 DEG C, to continue the polymerization in a solid phase to produce poly(p-dioxanone). The polymer is used to make a monofilament having a knot tensile strength of at least 30,000 psi and a strength retention of at least 58 percent after four weeks of immersion in a physiological saline solution at 37 DEG C. The monofilament provides an absorbable surgical suture which is highly resistant to hydrolysis and very useful for stitching a wound or incision which requires a long time for healing.