Polyanhydride plastic

This plastic, known as polyanhydride, was designed shapewise so that water would... 

In addition to polyesters, other types of biodegradable polymers such as polyurethanes, polyanhydrides, poly(amino acids), poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(ester amide), are generally processable by conventional processing techniques for plastics. Their physical properties can be expected to be comparable, and sometimes can be used to supplement biodegradable polyesters. Although these polymers are more likely used in niche applications or incorporated with other polymers by making composite materials, they obviously provide more material choices in the design and manufacture of various biomedical products. 

An abbreviated list of medical applications for commodity polymers (Table 13.6) is an indication of the wide scope of both materials and their uses. Since many of these uses require small volumes of premium materials, it is often feasible to supplement commodity plastics by developing specialty polymers that would not otherwise be justified on an economic basis. In the examples that follow, one encounters both commodity polymers such as ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), and specialty polymers such as the polyanhydrides and poly(glycolic acid). 

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