Engineering Commons^™

Comparison Of The Release Behaviors Of Cupric Ions From Metallic Copper And A Novel Composite In Simulated Body Fluid, Juan Li, Jinping Suo, Xunbin Huang, Chang Ye, Xiwang Wu

Dr. Chang Ye

The copper-containing intrauterine devices (Cu-IUDs) are being increasingly used worldwide as an effective contraceptive for family planning. To avoid abnormal bleeding, pain, and partial and complete expulsion which are associated with the burst release of copper during the first few days, a novel crosslinked composite based on poly(vinyl alcohol) that contained cupric ions, but not metallic copper, was synthesized. It is hypothesized that the burst release of cupric ions could be avoided and the utility of the cupric ions could be improved by this novel composite. To evaluate these effects of the composite, the corrosion products and the release rate …