Preparation and Properties of Gelatin Fibers Fabricated by Dry Spinning

Abstract

Gelatin fibers have been prepared by dry spinning based on the sol-gel transition phenomena of aqueous gelatin solutions. This method is simple and environmentally friendly because only water is used for the spinning, thereby avoiding the use of any toxic organic solvents. A sol-state aqueous solution of gelatin at 50˝C was extruded into air through a thin nozzle at room temperature followed by high-speed stretching in air. As a result, a stretched and shiny gelatin fiber was produced. To improve the mechanical and water-resistant properties of the fibers, a crosslinking treatment by the addition of sugars, denacol, and glutaraldehyde vapor was used. Despite their smooth surfaces, the gelatin fibers exhibited a multi-porous phase on the inside, probably owing to the retention of water during the spinning process. The mean diameters of the obtained fibers with all crosslinking agents were approximately 50-60 µm. Furthermore, the mean tensile strength was increased by all crosslinking agents. In particular, the use of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and glutaraldehyde as the crosslinkers resulted in a remarkable increase in tensile strength and water resistance. Moreover, their properties were further improved after heat treatment. These fibers also exhibited good water resistance and maintained their morphologies for more than 90 days.

Tailoring micro/nano-fibers for biomedical applications

“…Many polymers have been verified that can be fabricated into fibers via dry spinning, including cellulose acetate, PLLA [ 124 ], polyvinyl chloride (PVC), graphene, acrylics, gelatin [ 125 ], and silk fibroin. For example, graphene oxide was firstly dry spun by dissolving in the mixed solvent of methanol, ethanol, acetone, and tetrahydrofuran which had high volatility and low surface tension by Tian et al The obtained graphene oxide fibers exhibited good flexibility and high toughness up to 19.12 MJ m −3 [ 126 ].…”

Development of a new 3D bioprinted antibiotic delivery system based on a cross-linked gelatin–alginate hydrogel

“…The cross-linking process affects the macroscopic structure of hydrogel matrices. GAMs cross-linked with GTA vapors slightly shrunked and changed their color to yellow-orange (Figure 2C) which is due to the establishment of aldimine bonds (CH=N) between the free amine groups of gelatin proteins and glutaraldehyde [32,33,34]. After processing, the GAMs become visibly harder and stronger but they do not lose their flexibility which improves the potential contact with wound and is beneficial for comfort of use.…”

Development and Characterisation of Natural Rubber - Gelatin Blends With Improved Biodegradability

“…In both type of blends storage modulus show an improvement with gelatin content. Presence of gelatin restricts the segmental mobility of the natural rubber molecules thereby increasing the stiffness of the blends [27]. Storage modulus increases with the increase in test frequency.…”