Showing papers on "Glycidyl methacrylate published in 2003"
TL;DR: In this paper, permanent grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layers (brushes) from the melt to adsorbed reactive macromolecules was studied.
Abstract: The present study was focused on permanent grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layers (brushes) from the melt to adsorbed reactive macromolecules. A poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) was used to form the reactive primary adsorbed layer. It was found that a thin (1.5 nm) PGMA layer had a high grafting efficiency, and elevated temperatures considerably accelerated the grafting process. The grafting extent was eventually limited by concentration and accessibility of functional reactive groups in the primary adsorbed layer. Several distinct types of brush morphologies were observed depending on the grafted layer height. Isolated crystals were detected for brushes possessing lower grafting density. At higher levels of PEG attachment, the crystalline formations uniformly covered the entire surface of the substrate. The development of highly extended crystalline formations on the surface and marked expansion of the PEG brushes in water indicated that an extremely high grafting density was attained. The deve...
165 citations
TL;DR: In this article, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and optical cloud point measurements have been used to demonstrate the advantage of having a reactive copolymer to finely tune and control the morphology of nanostructured materials.
Abstract: Polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (SBG) and polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) copolymers (SBMG) were synthesized by sequential living anionic polymerization in tetrahydrofuran (THF). SBMG copolymers were used as modifiers for epoxy thermosets based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Different techniques including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and optical cloud point measurements have been used to demonstrate the advantage of having a reactive copolymer to finely tune and control the morphology of nanostructured materials. The FT-IR and DSC studies were used to follow both the kinetics of reaction of the reactive block G with the epoxy−amine system and of cross-linking of the epoxy−amine system. They give an interesting insight into the problem of factors governing the expulsion of the methacrylic blo...
149 citations
TL;DR: Biodegradability of the wood/polymer composites was determined and found to be improved on treatment with styrene/styrene-GMA and water absorption was decreased considerably for treated wood samples.
100 citations
TL;DR: In this article, magnetite nanoparticles were obtained in the presence of poly(ethylene oxide) at the magnetite/monomer interface and the effect of the reaction medium polarity, the concentrations of the monomer, initiator, and stabilizer, and the temperature on the particle size, particle size distribution, and iron and oxirane group contents was studied.
Abstract: The precipitation of Fe 3 O 4 from an aqueous solution with ammonium hydroxide produced nanoparticles that were coated with a layer of oleic acid [or, in some cases, poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(vinylpyrrolidone)] before their dispersion into the organic phase. The encapsulation of magnetite nanoparticles in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) or poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) microparticles was achieved by dispersion polymerization in toluene/2-methylpropan-1-ol. Magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microparticles were obtained in the presence of poly(ethylene oxide) at the magnetite/monomer interface. The particles containing up to 20 wt % iron maintained their discrete nature and did not aggregate. The effect of the reaction medium polarity, the concentrations of the monomer, initiator, and stabilizer, and the temperature on the particle size, particle size distribution, and iron and oxirane group contents was studied.
96 citations
91 citations
TL;DR: Glycidyl methacrylate resins with different ratios of divinylbenzene as cross-linking agent have been prepared and the textural properties such as density, porosity, pore area and pore diameter of the resins obtained were elucidated as mentioned in this paper.
90 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of the reaction procedure on the grafting degree of LDPE-g GMA samples (0.5-12.5 wt.-% GMA) was analyzed as a function of the concentration of GMA monomer, radical initator (BTP), and addition of styrene as co-monomer.
Abstract: Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was functionalized by melt radical grafting with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and employed for reactive blending with polyamide-6 (PA6). The effect of the reaction procedure on the grafting degree of LPDE-g GMA samples (0.5-12.5 wt.-% GMA) was analyzed as a function of the concentration of GMA monomer, radical initator (BTP), and addition of styrene as co-monomer. Optimized grafting conditions were obtained when the amount of the monomer is below 10 wt-% GMA) was analyzed as a function of the concentration of GMA monomer, radical initiator (BTP), and addition of styrene as co-monomer. Optimized grafting conditions were obtained when the amount of the monomer is below 10 wt.-% and that of peroxide in the range 0.2-0.4 wt.-%. Binary blends of PA6 with LDPE-g-GMA (3.5 wt.-% GMA) and with LPDE at various compositions (80/20, 67/33, 50/50 wt.-%) were prepared in an internal mixer and their properties were evaluated by torque, SEM and DSC analyses. Morphological examination by SEM showed a large improvement of phase dispersion and interfacial adhesion in PA6/LDPE-g-GMA blends as compared with PA6/LDPE blends. The average diameter of dispersed polyolefin particles was about 0.4 μm for LDPE-g-GMA contents < 50 wt.-%. A market increase of melt viscosity was observed for the compatibilized blends depending on the concentration of grafted polyolefin, and it was accounted for by the reaction between the epoxy groups of GMA and the carboxyl/amine end-groups of PA6. The variation of torque was thus related to the molar ratio of reactive group concentration. The analysis of crystallization and melting behavior pointed out marked differences in the phase structure of the blends due to the presence of the functiohnalized polyolefin. Finally, the in situ formation of a graft copolymer between LDPE-g-GMA and PA6 was investigated by means of a selective dissolution method (Molau test) and by FT-IR and DSC analyses.
84 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a polymer support with 3.4 mmol g−1 oxirane content can be readily modified by reacting with an excess of ethylene diamine, in high conversion yields (99.1%).
Abstract: Polymer supported iminodipropylene glycol functions have been shown to be efficient in chelation with boric acid and can be used for removal of boric acid at ppm levels. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)–methyl methacrylate (MMA)–DVB (divinyl benzene) terpolymer beads have been prepared and used as support. The polymer support with 3.4 mmol g−1 oxirane content can be readily modified by reacting with an excess of ethylene diamine, in high conversion yields (99.1%). Reaction of the latter with glycidol gives corresponding resin with aminopropylene glycol functions. The resulting resin has been demonstrated to be an efficient sorbent for removal of boron. The resin has 3 mmol g−1 of boron loading capacity and shows reasonably rapid sorption ability so that boron in 10 ml of H3BO3 solution (50 ppm) can be removed almost completely in less than 12 min of contact time by 0.5 g of polymer sample. Splitting of sorbed boron can be achieved by simple acid leaching (4 M HCl) and regenerated by NaOH solution (0.1 M).
84 citations
77 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a poly(methyl methacrylate)-silica hybrid materials, P(MMA-GMA5)−SiO 2, were synthesized from the in situ reaction of the PMMA with maleic anhydride (MA) or glycidyl methacylate (GMA), then hydrolyzed with 3-aminopropyl methyl diethoxysilane (APrMDEOS) and tetraethoxysilicane (TEOS) by a sol-gel process.
61 citations
TL;DR: The suitability of hydrogels deriving from functionalized dextran, crosslinked alone or in the presence of PHG, for drug delivery systems has been investigated choosing theophylline as a model drug.
TL;DR: Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was successfully grafted onto sago starch using ceric ammonium nitrate as initiator in aqueous medium as discussed by the authors.
TL;DR: In some cases, magnetic poly(HEMA-co-EDMA) microspheres with immobilized proteinase K were used for degradation of intracellular inhibitors present in Salmonella cells.
TL;DR: In this paper, a polymer-supported pendant urea group has been demonstrated to be very efficient in selective removal of mercuric ions from aqueous solutions, which can be recovered from loaded beads using hot acetic acid thereby regenerating the polymer.
Abstract: Polymer-supported pendant urea groups have been demonstrated to be very efficient in selective removal of mercuric ions from aqueous solutions. Methyl methacrylate (0.5 mol)–glycidyl methacrylate (0.4 mol)–divinylbenzene (0.1 mol) terpolymer beads have been prepared by suspension polymerisation. Urea functions have been incorporated into the bead polymer (210–420 μm) via a two-step modification of the epoxy groups involving firstly reaction with excess of triethylenetetramine followed by acidic isocyanate. The resulting polymer resin has a urea group loading of 7.8 mmol g−1 and shows excellent mercury binding capacity >6.7 mmol g−1, even in the presence of excess chloride ions. The mercury sorption is strictly selective and Ca(II), Mg(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Fe(II) and Cd(II) ions (0.2–0.3 M) do not give rise to any interference. The mercury can be recovered from loaded beads using hot acetic acid thereby regenerating the polymer. Recovered samples can be recycled more than 20 times without loss of activity as a result of the hydrolytic stability of the urea group in acetic acid.
TL;DR: In this article, a microcellular polyHIPE monolith of high functional group capacity has been prepared by a two-step process including the synthesis of the scaffold by polymerization of a highly concentrated emulsion and then the in situ surface polymerisation of methacrylate monomers.
TL;DR: Good resistance to degradation in acidic conditions, pH=1.0, was observed at 37 degrees C up to 48h and suggest that the GA-MA hydrogels may be a new material for pharmaceutical use, mainly for drug delivery system.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of the polymeric porogen and of the temperature of polymerization on the shape and size of the particles, porous structure and density of epoxide groups have been studied.
Abstract: Macroporous copolymers of glycidylmethacrylate (GMA) with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were prepared using polystyrene as a porogen in toluene solution The use of the polystyrene as porogen improves the porous properties of the macroporous polymers The effects of the polymeric porogen and of the temperature of polymerization on the shape and size of the particles, porous structure and density of epoxide groups have been studied By working at 55 °C instead 70 °C, it was possible to obtain a polymer that possesses a specific surface of 20 m 2 /g, that corresponds to a surface seven times lower than that of a reference polymer (142 m 2 /g) obtained via the normal procedure using cyclohexanol–dodecanol mixture as porogenic and solvent compounds The increase of the porosity of the GMA beads of good spherical shape and small size (35% of 10 μm particles) allowed a smaller resistance against the flow of the eluent This greater porosity is accompanied by a better functional density of epoxide groups (197 μmol/m 2 ) vs original polymer (29 μmol/m 2 )
TL;DR: In this article, the application of well-defined neodymium alkoxides/aryloxides in combination with dialkylmagnesium reagents for 1,3-butadiene (BD) polymerization and copolymerization with styrene (St) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) has been investigated.
TL;DR: In this paper, the compatibilizing effects of styrene-glycidyl methacrylate (SG) copolymers with various GMA contents on immiscible blends of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and polystyrene (PS) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 13C-solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrograph.
Abstract: The compatibilizing effects of styrene-glycidyl methacrylate (SG) copolymers with various glycidyl methyacrylate (GMA) contents on immiscible blends of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and polystyrene (PS) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 13C-solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The epoxy functional groups in the SG copolymer were able to react with the PTT end groups (COOH or OH) to form SG-g-PTT copolymers during melt processing. These in situ–formed graft copolymers tended to reside along the interface to reduce the interfacial tension and to increase the interfacial adhesion. The compatibilized PTT/PS blend possessed a smaller phase domain, higher viscosity, and better tensile properties than did the corresponding uncompatibilized blend. For all compositions, about 5% GMA in SG copolymer was found to be the optimum content to produce the best compatibilization of the blend. This study demonstrated that SG copolymers can be used efficiently in compatibilizing polymer blends of PTT and PS. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2247–2252, 2003
TL;DR: In this article, ground tire rub-ber (GTR) particles were surface-functionalized by glycidyl methacry-late and methacrylic acid through photo-initiated grafting.
Abstract: Ground tire rubber (GTR) films and GTRparticles were surface-functionalized by glycidyl methacry-late and methacrylic acid through photoinitiated grafting.The grafting yield of GTR films was determined by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflec-tion (FTIR-ATR). For the calibration of the FTIR-ATR data,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used. The presence ofepoxy and carboxyl groups on the GTR surface was dem-onstrated by contact-angle measurements. © 2003 Wiley Peri-odicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1622–1630, 2003 Key words: ESCA/XPS; infrared spectroscopy; photochem-istry; rubber INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the recycling of worn-out tires is a greattechnical and scientific challenge. Considerable effortshave been devoted to finding new applications forground scrap tires.Finely ground scrap tires, so-called ground tire rub-ber (GTR) particles, may be used as fillers and prop-erty modifiers in thermoplastic, elastomer, and ther-moset blends. 1 However, the incorporation of GTRparticles into a number of polymer matrices signifi-cantly impairs the mechanical and viscoelastic prop-erties of the resulting systems.
TL;DR: In this paper, aqueous solutions of poly(N,N-dimethacrylamide-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (DMA−GMA) are shown to undergo liquid−liquid phase separation upon heating.
Abstract: Aqueous solutions of poly(N,N-dimethacrylamide-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (DMA−GMA) are shown to undergo liquid−liquid phase separation upon heating. The phase transition temperatures as measured by the cloud point method decreased with increasing levels of the hydrophobic GMA comonomer. The initially formed coacervate microdroplets could be cross-linked by addition of polyamines. The morphology of the resulting hydrogel microspheres depends on both coacervation conditions and cross-linking conditions. Specifically, colloidally stable microspheres were formed at temperatures slightly above the phase transition temperatures, while agglomeration took place at higher temperatures. Low molecular weight polyamines are effective internal cross-linkers for the coacervate droplets, while higher molecular weight polyamines resulted in agglomeration. Addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate increased the phase transition temperatures of polymer solutions dramatically, while addition of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) did not...
TL;DR: In this article, the tensile and impact resistance of impact modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is investigated and the relationship between the impact resistance and the phase morphology is discussed.
Abstract: The tensile and impact resistance of impact-modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is investigated. The impact modifiers are polyolefin-based elastomers or elastomer blends containing glycidyl methacrylate moieties to improve the adhesion with the polyester. The tensile properties are measured on injection molded specimens at room temperature while the Izod impact strength is measured from −40 to 20°C. The blend morphology is observed by scanning electron microscopy and the dispersed phase average diameter is determined by image analysis. The relation between the impact resistance and the phase morphology is discussed, and the critical ligament size for PET is determined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2919–2932, 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a melt radical grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto isotactic polypropylene (PP) was carried out in Brabender internal mixer and the influence of reaction procedure, radical initiator concentration and addition of co-monomer (styrene) on the grafting efficiency was examined.
Abstract: The melt radical grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto isotactic polypropylene (PP) was carried out in Brabender internal mixer and the influence of reaction procedure, radical initiator concentration and addition of co-monomer (styrene) on the grafting efficiency was examined. The viscosity, the thermal behaviour and melt rheology of PP-g-GMA samples was then analysed as a function of grafted GMA content. Blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with PP and PP-g-GMA (5.2 wt% GMA), prepared in internal mixer, were characterised by SEM, DSC and melt viscosimetry. The morphological analysis of PET/PP-g-GMA blends (80/20, 50/50 w/w) pointed out a marked improvement of phase dispersion (with particle size of about 0.6 μm for 80/20 blend) and interfacial adhesion, as compared to non-compatibilized PET/PP blend. The results of mixing torque and thermal analysis supported the occurrence of in-situ compatibilization reaction between epoxy groups of GMA modified PP and carboxyl end-groups of PET in the melt.
TL;DR: In this paper, a functional methacrylic monomer, 4-benzyloxycarbonylphenyl methacrylate (BCPM), was synthesized by reacting benzyl-4-hydroxybenzoate dissolved in ethyl methyl ketone (EMK) with methacetyloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine.
Abstract: The new functional methacrylic monomer, 4-benzyloxycarbonylphenyl methacrylate (BCPM) was synthesized by reacting benzyl-4-hydroxybenzoate dissolved in ethyl methyl ketone (EMK) with methacryloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine. The copolymers from different feed compositions of BCPM and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) were synthesized by free radical polymerization in EMK solution at 70±1 °C, using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The copolymers were characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic techniques. The polydispersity indices of the polymers determined using gel permeation chromatography suggest a strong tendency for chain termination by disproportionation. The glass transition temperature of the copolymers was found to increase with increase in mole fraction of BCPM in the copolymer. Thermogravimetric analysis of the copolymers performed in air revealed that the thermal stability increases with increase in BCPM content in the copolymer. The solubility of the polymers was tested in various polar and non-polar solvents. Copolymer compositions were determined using 1H-NMR spectra. The monomer reactivity ratios were determined by the application of conventional linearisation methods such as Fineman–Ross, Kelen–Tudos and extended Kelen–Tudos and a nonlinear error invariable model method using a computer program RREVM. The adhesives based on poly(BCPM-co-GMA) were prepared for application on leather and their peel strengths were determined at 50 and 70 °C.
TL;DR: In this paper, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-diuinyl benzene (DVB)-based membrane was prepared via monomer sorption, and then pyridium or its deriuates were introduced into the PVC/poly(GMA-DVB) base membrane.
Abstract: A poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-diuinyl benzene (DVB)-based membrane was prepared via monomer sorption, and then pyridium or its deriuates (that is, 4-ethyl pyridium, 4-tetrabutyl pyridium) were introduced into the PVC/poly(GMA-DVB) base membrane. The effects of pyridinium anion-exchangeable sites on the water splitting and the electrochemical properties of the membrane were investigated. The electrochemical properties and the water splitting on the anion-exchange membranes were compared with selected commercial membranes containing quaternary ammonium groups. The pyridium membranes showed good electrochemical properties, comparable to those of the commercial membranes, with electrical resistances of less than 3.0 × 10 -4 Ω . m 2 in 0.5 mol dm -3 Nacl and high ionic permselectivities (the transport number of Cl - ions being 0.96). Moreover, water splitting indicated by the proton transport numbers of the membranes containing pyridinium or its derivates, were about two or three orders of magnitude lower than those of the commercial membranes (such as AM-1) at the same current density because the resonance effect in the quaternary pyridinium groups contributed to their molecular stability.
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of functional groups concentrations on the reactive compatibilization of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)/epoxide-containing rubber blends has been investigated by using various PBT and ethene-(methyl acrylate)-(glycidyl methacrylate) terpolymer (E-MA-GMA) grades.
TL;DR: Both immobilised urease preparations have resistance to temperature inactivation when compared to that of the free form and temperature profiles were broader for both immobilised preparations than that ofThe free enzyme.
Abstract: Immobilisation of urease onto plain and six-carbon spacer-arm (i.e. 1,6-diaminohexane) attached poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate- co -glycidyl methacrylate) [poly(HEMA–GMA)] films was studied. The epoxy groups containing poly(HEMA–GMA-1–3) films were prepared by UV-initiated photopolymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The spacer arm (i.e. 1,6-diaminohexane) was attached through the epoxy groups of the films. Urease was then covalently immobilised either on the plain or on the spacer-arm-attached poly(HEMA–GMA-2) films using glutaric dialdehyde as a coupling agent. Incorporation of the spacer-arm resulted in an increase in the apparent activity of the immobilised urease with respect to the enzyme immobilised on the plain films. The urease immobilisation capacity of the films was increased as the GMA ratio increased in the film structure. The activity yield of the immobilised urease on the spacer-arm-attached poly(HEMA–GMA-2) films was 53%, and 36% for the enzyme immobilised on the plain poly(HEMA–GMA-2) films. Both immobilised urease preparations have resistance to temperature inactivation when compared to that of the free form. The temperature profiles were broader for both immobilised preparations than that of the free enzyme. Kinetic parameters were determined for immobilised urease preparations as well as for the free enzyme. The values of the Michaelis constants K m for all the immobilised urease preparations were significantly larger, indicating decreased affinity by the enzyme for its substrate, whereas V max values were smaller for both immobilised urease preparations. In an 80-h continuous operation with spacer-arm-attached poly(HEMA–GMA-2) films at 35 °C, only 7% of immobilised urease activity was lost. The operational inactivation rate constant ( k opi ) of the immobilised urease was 1.51×10 −5 min −1 .
TL;DR: Based on this media, a weak cation exchange (WCX) stationary phase for HPLC was synthesized by a new chemically modified method, which has advantages for biopolymer separation, high column efficiency, low column backpressure, high protein mass recovery, and good resolution for proteins.
Abstract: The monodisperse, macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) beads were synthesized by a single-step swelling and polymerization method. Based on this media, a weak cation exchange (WCX) stationary phase for HPLC was synthesized by a new chemically modified method. The prepared resin has advantages for biopolymer separation, high column efficiency, low column backpressure, high protein mass recovery, and good resolution for proteins. The measured bioactivity recovery for lysozyme was 98±5%. The dynamic protein loading capacity of the WCX packings was 17.3 mg g−1. The experimental results show that the synthesized WCX resin has very weak hydrophobicity.
TL;DR: In this article, theCompatibilization of Poly(butylene terephthalate)/Metallocenic Poly(ethylene octene) Blends by Means of Poly (ethylene- co -glycidyl methacrylate)
Abstract: Compatibilization of Poly(butylene terephthalate)/Metallocenic Poly(ethylene-octene) Blends by Means of Poly(ethylene- co -glycidyl methacrylate)
TL;DR: Results indicated that the new epoxy-SiO(2) bone cement exhibits very low cytotoxicity compared with Simplex P bone cement.
Abstract: An organic–inorganic hybrid material, epoxy–SiO2, was prepared by incorporating epoxy structure units covalently into a SiO2 glass network via the sol–gel approach. The precursor was obtained by the reaction of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTS). The precursor was then hydrolyzed and co-condensated with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature to yield epoxy–SiO2 hybrid sol–gel material having a 50 wt % SiO2 content. Thermal properties of the hybrid material were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The hybrid sol–gel material epoxy–SiO2 was the solid, powder component of bone cement. The liquid component contains bis-phenol-A glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA), triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), and methyl methacrylate (MMA) with 25, 55, and 20 vol %, respectively. We discuss the comparison between the new epoxy–SiO2 bone cement and the commercial Simplex® P bone cement. Mechanical properties such as Young's modulus, compressive strength, hardness, and impact strength of the new epoxy–SiO2 bone cement exceeded those of SimplexR P bone cement. The tensile and bending strengths of the new epoxy–SiO2 bone cement were approximately the same as those of Simplex® P bone cement. In order to evaluate the biocompatibility of the new bone cement, an MTT test and optical microscopy were conducted in cell culture. Results indicated that the new epoxy–SiO2 bone cement exhibits very low cytotoxicity compared with Simplex® P bone cement. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 64A: 138–146, 2003