Abstract
This chapter discusses the different types of polymers and some applications as biomaterials. Polymers are used widely for medical devices and implants. Early medical devices were based on high purity grades of commonly used industrial polymers. In recent years, new polymers have been specially synthesized for medical uses. The chapter presents some common examples of synthetic polymers used in healthcare and their applications. It introduces the concept of molecular weight. The molecular weight of the polymer has a large effect on its properties and it is, therefore, a useful parameter for characterizing polymers. Polymers can contain amorphous and crystalline regions but they can never be 100% crystalline. The crystallinity of the polymer greatly affects its mechanical properties, which are time dependent. The chemical structure (configuration and confirmation) also affects the optical properties of the polymer. Polymers have the advantage of being easily processed into complex shapes by methods unique to these materials.
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