PLA-PCL textile reinforced composites for connective tissues applications
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2024-01
Defense date
2024-05-10
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Abstract
Tissue engineering presents a promising frontier in addressing injuries and degenerative conditions within the human body. This doctoral thesis focuses on developing biodegradable textile polymer composite materials, specifically woven from commingling yarns, to gain insights into their long-term performance for connective tissue engineering applications. This interdisciplinary project aims to advance the creation of robust materials for connective tissues, utilizing hybrid PLA/PCL and PLA/PLA commingled yarns to manufacture woven materials and composites. The unique combination of different grades of PLA and PCL characteristics in hybrid yarns enables the production of fabrics and composites with high strength and ductility. The mechanical, thermal, and biological performance of these materials is analyzed in the thesis, exploring the advantages of commingled hybrid yarns. Different degradation rates of PLA and PCL allow for tailoring this property. Materials undergo degradation in phosphate-buffered saline solution for up to 160 days at 37◦C and accelerated degradation at 50◦C. Observations reveal different degradation patterns of the materials. The PLAPCL woven textile shows minimal changes in thermal and mechanical properties after 80 days at 37◦C, with slight degradation observed after 160 days, which is attributed to chain scission in PLA fibres. This trend is also observed in the PLA-PCL composite materials. Conversely, PLA-PLA weaves experience a notable decrease in elastic modulus after 40 days. Upon immersion at 50°C, the PLA-PCL weave undergoes a rapid strength reduction after 40 days, primarily due to PLA hydrolysis, and significant degradation after 160 days, attributed to PCL chain scission. The PLA-PLA composite experiences the fastest deterioration, rendering it impossible to test samples after 40 days of degradation. The study concludes that all materials exhibit potential for connective tissue implants, assuming a six-month average regeneration time. Despite indirect tests did not ensured optimal biocompatibility, direct tests indicated a good cell/material interaction, with the PLA-PLA composite showcasing superior performance. These findings underscore the potential of hybrid commingled yarns in manufacturing textile scaffolds and composites with tailored mechanical properties and good ductility for connective tissue engineering applications.
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Tissue engineering, Biodegradable textiles, Polymer composite materials, Commingled hybrid yarns, PLA/PCL