Product Description
As a specialized supplier of plastics and related services, Alfa Chemistry offers a comprehensive range of materials, including various grades of polyglycolic acid (PGA). PGA, also known as polyglycolide, is a remarkable high-molecular-weight polymer, highly valued for its exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability. Its unique physicochemical properties and vast potential have positioned it as a leading subject of research and development within the biomedical and sustainable packaging sectors.
- Materials: PGA (polyglycolic acid )
- Appearance: Yellow or light brown granules
- Chemical formula: (C4H4O4)n
Product Specifications
| Item | Quality Index |
| Intrinsic Viscosity | 0.2-2.0 dL/g |
| Viscosity-Average Molecular Weight | 1-1,000,000 |
| Number-Average Molecular Weight | 1-1,000,000 |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 35-40℃ |
| Melting Point | 220-240℃ |
| Residual Monomer | < 1% |
| Residual Solvent | < 0.05% |
| Heavy Metals | < 10 ppm |
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ |
| Sulfate Ash | < 0.05% |
| Catalog | Product | Melt Index (g/10min) | Molecular Meight |
| PL-PGA-A001 | PGA Granule | 40-50 | < 100,000 |
| PL-PGA-A002 | PGA Granule | 30-40 | 100,000-200,000 |
| PL-PGA-A003 | PGA Granule | 20-30 | 200,000-300,000 |
| PL-PGA-A004 | PGA Granule | 10-20 | 300,000-490,000 |
| PL-PGA-A005 | PGA Granule | ＜10 | > 500,000 |
Key Features and Benefits
- High Biocompatibility: It breaks down into water and carbon dioxide via enzymatic hydrolysis, ensuring a non-toxic profile and minimal tissue response, which is crucial for medical implant applications.
- Rapid Degradation: It swiftly breaks down in natural environments, often without the need for specialized conditions, making it an environmentally friendly choice.
- Excellent Mechanical Properties: With high tensile strength and modulus, PGA is an ideal material for applications requiring robust mechanical integrity, such as high-performance surgical sutures and advanced tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Good Thermal Properties: PGA exhibits favorable thermal characteristics, with a melting point ranging from 200-220℃ and a glass transition temperature of 35-40℃. These properties ensure good thermoplasticity, facilitating ease of processing and molding into various forms.
- Superior Gas Barrier Properties: One of PGA's notable features is its exceptional ability to impede gas transmission. This makes it a highly effective material for critical applications in food and beverage packaging.
Application Areas
PGA's excellent biocompatibility and degradability have led to its widespread adoption across several key sectors:
- Surgical Sutures: PGA fibers are a preferred choice for surgical sutures due to their high strength and excellent compatibility with biological tissues.
- Drug Delivery Systems: As a versatile carrier, PGA enables the controlled and sustained release of various pharmaceutical agents.
- Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: PGA is extensively used to fabricate scaffolds that support cell proliferation and differentiation, vital for promoting tissue regeneration.
- Absorbable Orthopedic Devices: It is integral to the production of absorbable screws and plates for orthopedic fixation, which are naturally absorbed by the body after serving their purpose.
- Ecological and Environmental Field
- Biodegradable Plastics: PGA serves as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics in applications such as packaging materials, agricultural films, and disposable tableware, actively contributing to the reduction of plastic pollution.
- Industrial Composting: Under industrial composting conditions, PGA demonstrates remarkable degradability, breaking down completely within 120 days, a rate comparable to that of cellulose.
- Seawater Degradation: PGA also exhibits effective degradation in marine environments, with a significant degradation rate of up to 75.3% within 28 days in seawater.
- Other Promising Applications
- High-Value-Added Medical Materials: PGA is a foundational material for crafting advanced medical devices, including absorbable medical threads and sophisticated tissue engineering constructs.
- Polymer Blending and Modification: PGA can be blended with other traditional polymers to enhance their processability and accelerate their degradation rates, opening new avenues for material innovation.
Processing and Storage Guidelines
PGA can be efficiently processed using common methods such as injection molding and melt spinning, offering flexibility in manufacturing.
Given its biodegradable nature, proper storage of PGA products is critical to preserve their quality and integrity:
- Avoid Contaminants: It is imperative to protect PGA from contact with water, acidic or alkaline substances, alcohol reagents, and any other chemicals that could induce degradation.
- Optimal Storage Conditions: Products should be stored in a sealed, dry, and low-temperature environment, ideally refrigerated at -20℃.
- Humidity Control: During handling and use, the ambient air humidity should be maintained below 35% to safeguard the product's quality from moisture exposure.
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