Thermo-mechanical properties of poly ε-caprolactone/poly L-lactic acid blends: addition of nalidixic acid and polyethylene glycol additives.
The search for ideal biomaterials is still on-going for tissue regeneration. In this study, blends of poly ε-caprolactone (PCL) with poly l-lactic acid (PLLA), nalidixic acid (NA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were prepared. Mechanical and thermal properties of the blends were investigated by tensile and flexural analysis, DSC, TGA, WXRD, MFI, BET, SEM and hot stage optical microscopy. Results showed that the loading of PLLA caused a significant decrease in tensile strength and almost total eradication of the elongation at break of PCL matrix, especially after PEG and NA addition. Increased stiffness was also noted with additional NA, PEG and PLLA, resulting in an increase in the flexural modulus of the blends. Isothermal degradation indicated that bulk PCL, PLLA and the blends were thermally stable at 200°C for the duration of 2h making extrusion of the blends at this temperature viable. Morphological study showed that increasing the PLLA content and addition of the very low viscosity PEG and powder NA decreased the Melt Flow Indexer and increased the viscosity. At the higher temperature, the PLLA begins to soften and eventually melts allowing for increased flow and, coupling this with, the natural increase in MFI caused by temperature is enhanced further. The PEG and NA addition increased dramatically the pore volume which is important for cell growth and flow transport of nutrients and metabolic waste.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen׳s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK.
P
P
Douglas
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen׳s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK; Materials Surface Science Institute, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland. Electronic address: Ahmad.B.Albadarin@ul.ie.
Ahmad B
AB
Albadarin
Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Ala'a H
AH
Al-Muhtaseb
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen׳s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK.
Chirangano
C
Mangwandi
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen׳s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK; Materials Surface Science Institute, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.
G M
GM
Walker
D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D009268:Nalidixic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D012212:Rheology; D013696:Temperature
D011091:Polyesters; C550605:poly(lactic acid-co-epsilon-caprolactone); D009268:Nalidixic Acid; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
Mechanical properties; Poly l-lactic acid; Poly ε-caprolactone; Polyethylene glycol; Thermal properties; Topography