Evaluating the mechanical properties of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is essential to measure its resistance to permanent deformation from an applied force. These mechanical ePTFE properties must be comparable to the properties of real tissue. Various hydrophilic comonomers 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAM), and N-vinylcaprolactam were used individually for copolymerization with acrylic acid (AA) to be grafted onto ePTFE using the gamma irradiation-induced grafting method. After surface modification, the hydrophobic and mechanical properties of ePTFE were altered. The water uptake and contact angle measurement showed that the modified ePTFE was less hydrophobic (∼500%, θ < 90°) than the unmodified ePTFE (0%, θ = 140°). Moreover, the mechanical properties of ePTFE changed after the modification process due to the polymer grafted onto the ePTFE surface. The data from mechanical tests, such as Young’s modulus (74–121 MPa), ultimate tensile strength (5–9 MPa), and elongation at break (56–121%), obtained for the sample AA-co-HEMA and AA-co-NIPAAM remain within the ranges and are considered desirable for use as a biomaterial. The mechanical strength correlates well with the percentage of the grafting yield after the modification process and is dependent on the parameters used, such as irradiation dose and type of comonomer.
The research focused on the synthesis of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) grafted with gold nanoparticles (AuNP). The Turkevich method, one of the common techniques of AuNP synthesis, was used to obtain an AuNP solution with a nanoparticle size of 20 nm. The PTFE-AuNP samples were subsequently irradiated and the absorbed doses were 0.5, 2, 5, 10 and 20 kGy. It was noticed that samples irradiated with 0.5 and 2 kGy were less stable and less concentrated than samples irradiated with higher doses due to aggregation and formation of precipitation after 30 days.
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