Investigating the Effect of PCL Concentrations on the Characterization of PLA Polymeric Blends for Biomaterial Applications

Abstract

Polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are synthetic polymers that are extensively used in biomedical applications. However, the PLA/PCL blend produced by ball milling, followed by pressure compaction and sintering, has not been extensively explored. The goal of this research is to investigate the effect of the composition of biomaterials derived from PLA and PCL prepared by ball milling, followed by pressure compaction and sintering, on mechanical and physical properties. PCL and PLA with various concentrations were blended utilizing a ball milling machine for 2 h at an 80-rpm rotation speed. The obtained mixture was placed in a stainless steel 304 mold for the compacting process, which uses a pressure of 30 MPa to create a green body. The sintering procedure was carried out on the green body created at 150 °C for 2 h using a digital oven. The obtained PLA/PCL blend was tested using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), density, porosity, and three-point bending. Following the interaction between PCL and PLA in the PLA/PCL blend, the FTIR spectra and XRD diffractograms obtained in this work revealed a number of modifications in the functional groups and crystal phase. The 90PLA specimen had the best mechanical properties, with a maximum force and displacement of 51.13 N and 7.21 mm, respectively. The porosity of the PLA/PCL blend decreased with increasing PLA concentration so that the density and flexural properties of the PLA/PCL blend increased. The higher PCL content decreased the stiffness of the PLA molecular chain, consequently reducing its flexural properties.

Characterization of PLA/PCL/Nano-Hydroxyapatite (nHA) Biocomposites Prepared via Cold Isostatic Pressing

“…Meanwhile, the C–O, C=O, and CH 2 peaks indicate the presence of polycaprolactone (PCL) in the biocomposite specimens. The existence of PO 4 3− and O–H peaks in the biocomposite specimens indicates that nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) is present [ 17 , 46 , 47 ]. The hydroxyapatite (HA) spectrum demonstrates that the PO 4 3− stretch band is around 1156–1000 cm −1 and the O–H bend is in the range of 950–910 cm −1 .…”

“…FTIR test results showed the presence of symmetrical bending of CH 3 in specimens of 0, 10, 20, and 30% at peaks of 1373, 1335, 1332, and 1336 cm −1 , respectively. Thus, the C=O and C–O stretches are measured at 1760–1670 cm −1 and 1100–1000 cm −1 [ 17 , 46 ].…”

“…Peaks at 2 theta values of 19.76, 22.74, and 28.82 suggested the presence of PLA. The peak that indicates PCL is denoted by the 2 theta value of 22.42 [ 17 , 55 , 56 ].…”

“…The lack of crystal peaks in the PLA/PCL blend (0% nHA) suggests that an amorphous structure is generated. When PCL is incorporated into PLA, a disordered structure is formed, making crystallization more difficult [ 17 ].…”

“…Solechan et al performed scaffold fabrication utilizing distinct PLA/PCL mixtures and observed the effects of PLA/PCL concentrations on their physical and mechanical properties. By increasing PLA content, the PLA/PCL blend porosity reduced, resulting in enhanced density and flexural strength [ 17 ]. An ideal scaffold ought to be osteoconductive (enabling pluripotent cells to develop into osteoblasts and supporting the proliferation of cells and capillaries to create bone), biocompatible, and biodegradable, as well as possess the proper biological qualities and mechanical strength [ 18 ].…”