[Histonet] RE: Extra hard PMMA?

[L.Driessen <@t> orthop.umcn.nl]

Hello Paul,

I've done some testing on this, together with mechanical loading. The hardest plastic contained 90 ml MMA, 10 ml Dibutylphtalate and 1 gr ?,? Azobutyronitril. Mechanical testing with a preload of 10N and a mainload of 40N gave an dentation of 0,04 mm. Further reduction in softener didn't lead to harder plastic. Reduction of hardener also didn't have any extra effect except for much shrinking.

Léon Driessen
Orthopaedisch Research Lab
UMC St. Radboudziekenhuis, Nijmegen
024-3615145/3614932
l.driessen <@t> orthop.umcn.nl


Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 12:15:03 -0400
From: "Monfils, Paul" <PMonfils <@t> Lifespan.org>
Subject: [Histonet] Extra hard PMMA?
To: "'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'"
	<histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID:
	<09C945920A6B654199F7A58A1D7D1FDE0171771F <@t> lsexch.lsmaster.lifespan.org>
	
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Does anyone have experience in using harder than usual PMMA for sectioning
extremely hard specimens?  What kind of softener, and how much, do you add
to the methacrylate?  Is it possible to section pure PMMA without any
softeners added?  (using a powerful motorized sliding microtome and tungsten
carbide knives)