Crystallinity of Electrospun and Centrifugal Spun Polycaprolactone Fibers: A Comparative Study

Eva Kuzelova Kostakova,Gabriela Maskova,Tamas Turcsan,Laszlo Meszaros,David Lukas,Lenka Blazkova

doi:10.1155/2017/8952390

Abstract

Crystalline properties of semicrystalline polymers are very important parameters that can influence the application area. The internal structure, like the mentioned crystalline properties, of polymers can be influenced by the production technology itself and by changing technology parameters. The present work is devoted to testing of electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous and nanofibrous materials and compare them to foils and granules made from the same raw polymer. The test setup reveals the structural differences caused by the production technology. Effects of average molecular weight are also exhibited. The applied biodegradable and biocompatible polymer is polycaprolactone (PCL) as it is a widespread material for medical purposes. The crystallinity of PCL has significant effect on rate of degradation that is an important parameter for a biodegradable material and determines the applicability. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that, at the degree of crystallinity, there is a minor difference between the electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous materials. However, the significant influence of polymer molecular weight was exhibited. The morphology of the fibrous materials, represented by fiber diameter, also did not demonstrate any connection to final measured crystallinity degree of the tested materials.

Highlights

Electrospinning and centrifugal spinning are widespread technologies for production of fibrous and nanofibrous materials nowadays
The present work is devoted to testing of electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous and nanofibrous materials and compare them to foils and granules made from the same raw polymer
The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that, at the degree of crystallinity, there is a minor difference between the electrospun and centrifugal spun fibrous materials

Summary

Introduction

Electrospinning and centrifugal spinning are widespread technologies for production of fibrous and nanofibrous materials nowadays. The final products are partiality used for medical applications mainly as drug delivery systems, wound dressings, and scaffolds for tissue engineering. The applied polymeric materials are usually biodegradable, which are typically semicrystalline ones, consisting of amorphous and crystalline phases. The polymer in the amorphous state has an unordered structure contrary to the crystalline material that exhibits orderliness. The arranged areas are called crystallites and their sizes are generally of hundreds of nanometers [1]. The crystalline phase has a higher density and stiffness compared to the amorphous phase. The crystallinity of the same raw polymer material differs with the use of different treatment or production technologies [1]

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Conclusion