Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Electron Beam Welded Alloy J75

Microstructure and mechanical properties of electron beam post-weld aging treatment （PWAT） conditions. The results welded alloy J75 were studied under as-welded and showed that high-quality welds were produced by electron beam welding. Under as-welded condition, a fine dendritic structure consisting of gamma dendrite matrix and Laves phase was observed in the welds. Better mechanical properties were obtained in the weld zone than that of base metal because of the fine size of the dendritic structure. After PWAT, a discontinuous distribution of γ＇ particles existed in the dendritic structure. The presence of a γ＇ depletion zone in the dendrite core resulted in a significant degradation of mechanical properties of the weld.     

A modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method for the preparation of curcumin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles with enhanced in vitro anti-tumor activity

To improve the anti-tumor activity of hydrophobic drug curcumin, we prepared curcumin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles （PLGA-Cur NPs） through a modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion （modified-SESD） method. The influence of main preparation parameters was investigated, such as the volume ratio of binary organic solvents and the concentration of surfactant. Results indicated that the synthesized regular spherical PLGA NPs with the average diameter of 189.7 nm exhibited relatively higher yield （58.9%）, drug loading （11.0% （w/w）） and encapsulation efficiency （33.5%）, and also a controllable drug release profile. In order to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of the prepared NPs, MTT assay was conducted, and results showed that the NPs could effectively inhibit HL60 and HepG2 cells with lower IC50 values compared with free curcumin. Furthermore, confocal microscopy together with flow cytometry analysis proved the enhanced apoptosis-inducing ability of PLGA-Cur NPs. Polymeric NP formulations are potential to be used for hydrophobic drug delivery systems in cancer therapy.     

A New Approach for Manufacturing a High Porosity Ti-6Al-4V Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

Titanium and its alloys are currently considered as one of the most important metallic materials used in the biomedical applications, due to their excellent mechanical properties and superior biocompatibility. In the present study, a new effective method for fabricating high porosity titanium alloy scaffolds was developed. Porous Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds are successfully fabricated with porosities ranging from 30% to 70% using spaceholder and powder sintering technique. Based on its acceptable properties, spherical carbamide particles with different diameters （0.56, 0.8, and 1mm） were used as the space-holder material in the present investigation. The Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds porosity is characterized by using scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the scaffolds spherical-shaped pores are depending on the shape, size and distribution of the space-holder particles. This investigation shows that the present new manufacturing technique is promising to fabricate a controlled high porosity and high purity Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds for hard tissue replacement.     

Comparative study of performance comparison of AlSi10Mg alloy prepared by selective laser melting and casting

The influence of the microstructure on mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg fabricated by casting and selective laser melting(SLM) were investigated and contrasted in this work, with an emphasis on understanding the forming mechanism. The microstructure, phase structure and mechanical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy/field-emission Transmission Electron Microscopy(SEM/TEM), X-Ray Diffraction(XRD), tensile and fatigue tests. The results indicated that the SLM AlSi10Mg exhibited a supersaturated Si network structure precipitated along α-Al cell. Brittle β-Al5FeSi and π-Al8FeMg3Si6 phases were found in the as-cast and SLM AlSi10Mg respectively due to different thermal histories during processing. The SLM AlSi10Mg showed higher tensile strength but lower elongation than the casting, as the result of grain refinement and tortuous crack path. The fatigue results revealed that unmelted powder, oxide inclusion and pores can considerably degrade the fatigue properties for the SLM AlSi10Mg. The SLM process offered a new method for material processing that would avoid harmful Fe-bearing intermetallic compounds and refine the microstructures for enhancing strength.     

Atomic insights into synergistic effect of pillared graphene by carbon nanotube on the mechanical properties of polymer nanocompositesOA

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to explore the underlying synergistic mechanism of pillared graphene or non-covalent connected graphene and carbon nanotubes(CNTs) on the mechanical properties of polyethylene(PE) nanocomposites. By constructing the pillared graphene model and CNTs/graphene model, the effect of the structure, arrangement and dispersion of hybrid fillers on the tensile mechanical properties of PE nanocomposites was studied. The results show that the pillared grap...     

Electrospinning of curcumin loaded chitosan/poly （lactic acid） nanofilm and evaluation of its medicinal characteristics

The curcumin loaded chitosanlpoly （lactic acid） （PLA） nanoflbers were produced using electrospinning. Box-Behnken experimental design was used for the optimization of variables （-1, 0, ＋ 1 coded level） like chitosan/PLA strength （% w/v）, curcumin strength （% w/v） and applied voltage （kV） to obtain uniform fiber diameter. The morphology of nanofibers was shown by SEM. Molecular interactions and the presence of each chemical compound of curcumin loaded chitosanlPLA fibers were characterized by FTIR and EDX analysis. Antioxidant, drug release and in vitro cytotoxicity tests were performed to evaluate the suitability of nanofibers that would be used for wound healing. In vivo wound healing studies on excision and incision wounds created on rat model showed significant reduction of wound area when compared to untreated. The better healing efficiency can be attributed to the presence of curcumin and chitosan.     

Microstructures and Hardness Properties for β-Phase Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.9Sn Alloy Fabricated by Electron Beam Melting

Atomized, pre-alloyed Ti-24Nb-4Zr-7.9Sn （wt%） powder was used to fabricate solid, prototype components by electron beam melting （EBM）. Vickers microindentation hardness values were observed to average 2 GPa for the precursor powder and 2.5 GPa for the solid, EBM-fabricated products. The powder and solid product microstructures were examined by optical and electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction analyses showed that they had bcc β-phase microstructure. However, it was found by transmission electron microscopy that the EBM-fabricated product had plate morphology with space -100-200 nm. Although the corresponding selected area diffraction patterns can be indexed by β-phase plus α＂-martensite with orthorhombic crystal structure, the dark-field analyses failed to observe the α＂-martensite. Such phenomenon was also found in deformed gum metals and explained by stress-induced diffusion scattering due to phonon softening.     

Current Progress of Mechanical Properties of Metals with Nano-scale Twins

Focus on face-centered cubic （fcc） metals with nano-scale twins lamellar structure, this paper presents a brief overview of the recent progress made in improving mechanical properties, including strength, ductility, work hardening, strain rate sensitivities, and in mechanistically understanding the underling deformation mechanisms. Significant developments have been achieved in nano-twinned fcc metals with a combination of high strength and considerable ductility at the same time, enhanced work hardening ability and enhanced rate sensitivity. The findings elucidate the role of interactions between dislocations and twin boundaries （TBs） and their contribution to the origin of outstanding properties. The computer simulation analysis accounts for high plastic anisotropy and rate sensitivity anisotropy by treating TBs as internal interfaces and allowing special slip geometry arrangements that involve soft and hard modes of deformation. Parallel to the novel mechanical behaviors of the nano-twinned materials, the investigation and developments of nanocrystalline materials are also discussed in this overview for comparing the contribution of grain boundaries/TBs and grain size/twin lamellar spacing to the properties. The recent advances in the experimental and computational studies of plastic deformation of the fcc metals with nano-scale twin lamellar structures provide insights into the possible means of optimizing comprehensive mechanical properties through interfacial engineering.     

Silk microfibrous mats with long-lasting antimicrobial function

The controlled release of antibiotic drugs to injured sites has great advantages over the conventional intravenous administration of antibiotics,which is associated with systemic toxicity,for wound care.Electrospun nanofibrous/microfibrous mats,with a similar structure to the native extracellular matrix,is a promising wound dressing.Herein,drug-loaded halloysite nanotubes(HNTs)incorporated into regenerated silk fibroin(RSF)microfibrous mats were prepared by electrospinning to achieve sustained drug release and long-lasting antimicrobial protection.A broad-spectrum antibiotic,tetracycline hydrochloride(TCH),was selected as the model drug.Transmission electron microscopic images revealed that the TCH-loaded HNTs were homogeneously embedded in the RSF electrospun microfibers without significant changes in morphology.The drug release profiles showed that the RSF microfibrous mats with TCH-loaded HNTs exhibited a significantly reduced burst phase and a long release time over two weeks compared to the pure TCH-loaded HNTs and the TCH-loaded RSF microfibrous mats without HNTs.These results were attributed to the two-step release of TCH first from the HNTs and then RSF matrix in the electrospun mats.Finally,the antimicrobial properties of the RSF microfibrous mats with TCH-loaded HNTs were evaluated using both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria.The results demonstrated long-lasting antimicrobial activity for at least one week,showing the great potential of TCH-loaded RSF microfibrous mat as a wound dressing material.Therefore,these TCHloaded RSF microfibrous mats with excellent biocompatibility and sustained antimicrobial protection are extremely attractive systems for clinical applications.     

Performance of Polyaniline-coated Short Carbon Fibers in Electromagnetic Shielding Coating

Combined nitric acid oxidation method and polyaniline （PANI）-coated method were applied to modify the surface properties of short carbon fibers （SCF）. The electrical and mechanical properties of acrylic coatings with 50 wt pct PANI-coated carbon fiber were investigated by using scanning electron microscope （SEM）, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, four-probe method and the coaxial cable method. The results of the pH measurement and XPS （X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy） patterns showed that the oxygen functional groups, such as -OH and -COOH, were attached on the carbon fiber surfaces after oxidation treatment. The XPS analysis of PANl-coated oxidized SCF （PAOSCF） revealed that PANI may bond on the surface of oxidized SCF with chemical bonds. SEM images and surface roughness analyses showed that PANl-coated layer changed the surface morphology. Compared with SCF/acrylic coating, the surface resistivity of PAOSCF/acrylic coating decreased from17.1 to 5.3 Ω/sq and the shielding efficiency （SE） value increased from 1.54 to 23.3 dB.     

Fabrication and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Antheraea pernyi</Emphasis> silk fibroin-blended P(LLA-CL) nanofibrous scaffolds for peripheral nerve tissue engineering

Electrospun nanofibers have gained widespreading interest for tissue engineering application. In the present study, ApF/P(LLA-CL) nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated via electrospinning. The feasibility of the material as tissue engineering nerve scaffold was investigated in vitro. The average diameter increased with decreasing the blend ratio of ApF to P(LLA-CL). Characterization of ¹³C NMR and FTIR clarified that there is no obvious chemical bond reaction between ApF and P(LLA-CL). The tensile strength and elongation at break increased with the content increase of P(LLA-CL). The surface hydrophilic property of nanofibrous scaffolds enhanced with the increased content of ApF. Cell viability studies with Schwann cells demonstrated that ApF/P(LLA-CL) blended nanofibrous scaffolds significantly promoted cell growth as compare to P(LLA-CL), especially when the weight ratio of ApF to P(LLA-CL) was 25:75. The present work provides a basis for further studies of this novel nanofibrous material (ApF/P(LLA-CL)) in peripheral nerve tissue repair or regeneration.     

β-CaSiO_3/丝素蛋白复合支架材料结构与性能的研究

利用冷冻干燥法制备了β-CaSiO_3/丝素蛋白复合支架材料,经XRD和FTIR分析表明复合支架中丝素的结构主要以β-折叠为主;SEM分析显示材料孔隙分布均匀,孔连通性较好,孔径尺寸约为100～300μm.对支架的孔隙率和机械强度等性能进行了表征,研究表明复合支架的孔隙率为83%～87%,机械强度有较大提高.应用模拟体液浸泡实验研究了复合支架的体外生物活性,并用XRD、FESEM和EDS对试样表面进行了表征;结果显示,样品经模拟体液浸泡3天后,表面都能沉积出类骨羟基磷灰石(HA)层,β-CaSiO_3的加入能加快复合支架表面沉积类骨HA的速度.研究结果显示β-CaSiO_3/丝素蛋白复合支架材料有望作为强度较好的生物活性硬组织修复材料.     

Fabrication of glycidyl methacrylate-modified silk fibroin/poly(L-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone)–polyethylene glycol diacrylate hybrid 3D nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering

In order to provide a biomimetic natural extracellular matrix microenvironment with excellent mechanical capacity for tissue regeneration, a novel porous hybrid glycidyl methacrylate-modified silk fibroin/poly(L-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone)–polyethylene glycol diacrylate (SFMA/P(LLA-CL)–PEGDA) hybrid three-dimensional (3D) nanofibrous scaffolds was successfully fabricated through the combination of 3D nanofibrous platforms and divinyl PEGDA based photocrosslinking, and then further improved water resistance by ethanol vapor post-treatment. Scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography results demonstrated significant PEGDA hydrogel-like matrices bonded nanofibers, which formed a 3D structure similar to that of “steel bar (nanofibers)‒cement (PEGDA)”, with proper pore size, high porosity, and high pore connectivity density. Meanwhile, the hybrid 3D nanofibrous scaffolds showed outstanding swelling properties as well as improved compressive and tensile properties. Furthermore, these hybrid 3D nanofibrous scaffolds could provide a biocompatible microenvironment, capable of inducing the material‒cell hybrid and regulating human umbilical vein endothelial cells proliferation. They thus present significant potential in tissue regeneration.     

Long-term viability of coronary artery smooth muscle cells on poly(L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) nanofibrous scaffold indicates its potential for blood vessel tissue engineering.

Biodegradable polymer nanofibres have been extensively studied as cell culture scaffolds in tissue engineering. However, long-term in vitro studies of cell-nanofibre interactions were rarely reported and successful organ regeneration using tissue engineering techniques may take months (e.g. blood vessel tissue engineering). Understanding the long-term interaction between cells and nanofibrous scaffolds (NFS) is crucial in material selection, design and processing of the tissue engineering scaffolds. In this study, poly(L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) [P(LLA-CL)] (70:30) copolymer NFS were produced by electrospinning. Porcine coronary artery smooth muscle cells (PCASMCs) were seeded and cultured on the scaffold to evaluate cell-nanofibre interactions for up to 105 days. A favourable interaction between this scaffold and PCASMCs was demonstrated by cell viability assay, scanning electron microscopy, histological staining and extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion. Degradation behaviours of the scaffolds with or without PCASMC culture were determined by mechanical testing and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The results showed that the PCASMCs attached and proliferated well on the P(LLA-CL) NFS. Large amount of ECM protein secretion was observed after 50 days of culture. Multilayers of aligned oriented PCASMCs were formed on the scaffold after two months of in vitro culture. In the degradation study, the PCASMCs were not shown to significantly increase the degradation rate of the scaffolds for up to 105 days of culture. The in vitro degradation time of the scaffold could be as long as eight months by extrapolating the results from GPC. These observations further supported the potential use of the P(LLA-CL) nanofibre in blood vessel tissue engineering.     

Fabrication and characterization of bioactive silk fibroin/wollastonite composite scaffolds

Composite scaffolds of silk fibroin (SF) with bioactive wollastonite were prepared by freeze-drying. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis showed that random coil and β-sheet structure co-existed in the SF scaffold. The mechanical performance, surface hydrophilicity and water-uptake capacity of the composite scaffolds were improved compared with those of pure SF scaffold. The bioactivity of the composite scaffold was evaluated by soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF), and formation of a hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer was determined by FT-IR and XRD. The results showed that the SF/wollastonite composite scaffold was bioactive as it induced the formation of HCA on the surface of the composite scaffold after soaking in SBF for 5 days. In vitro cell attachment and proliferation tests showed that the composite scaffold was a good matrix for the growth of L929 mouse fibroblast cells. Consequently, the incorporation of wollastonite into the SF scaffold can enhance both the mechanical strength and bioactivity of the scaffold, which suggests that the SF/wollastonite composite scaffold may be a potential biomaterial for tissue engineering.     

The comparison of the Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor delivered electrospun nanoyarn fabricated with two methods for the application of urethroplasty

Urethral strictures were common disease caused by over-expression of extracellular matrix from fibroblast. In this study, we compare two nanoyarn scaffolds for improving fibroblasts infiltration without inhibition the over-expression of extracellular matrix. Collagen/poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (Col/P(LLA-CL)) nanoyarn scaffolds were prepared by conjugated electrospinning and dynamic liquid electrospinning, respectively. In addition, co-axial electrospinning technique was combined with the nanoyarn fabrication process to produce nanoyarn scaffolds loading Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were examined and morphology was observed by SEM. Cell morphology, proliferation and infiltration on the scaffolds were investigated by SEM, MTT assay and H&E staining, respectively. The release profiles of different scaffolds were determined using HPLC. The results indicated that cells showed an organized morphology along the nanoyarns and considerable infiltration into the nanoyarn scaffolds prepared by dynamic liquid electrospinning (DLY). It was also observed that the DLY significantly facilitate cell proliferation. The D-DLY could facilitate the infiltration of the fibroblasts and could be a promising scaffold for the treatment of urethra stricture while it may inhibit the collagen production.     

Electrospun nanofibers of collagen-chitosan and P(LLA-CL) for tissue engineering

Electrospun nanofibers could be used to mimic the nanofibrous structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in native tissue.In tissue engineering,the ECM could be used as tissue engineering scaffold to ...     

Deposition behavior and properties of silk fibroin scaffolds soaked in simulated body fluid

Porous 3D silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds were prepared directly from the SF solution with the addition of methanol and glutaraldehyde by a freeze-drying method. The scaffolds were then soaked in the simulated body fluid (SBF) for the deposition of hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals. The XRD and FTIR results showed that the SF were in β-sheet structure, resulting in the high thermal stability and mechanical properties of scaffolds. The XRD and AAS data revealed that the SF scaffolds could induce the continuous growth and enrichment of HA crystals onto the scaffolds with the extension of soaking time. The mechanical properties of scaffolds increased first with the HA-deposition within 3 d of soaking, then it declined. During the full soaking period, no significant change was observed on the porosity and water-binding ability, which were kept at about 84% and 800%, respectively. The cell cultivation results showed that the scaffolds have the satisfied cell biocompatibility, which was promoted after the HA-deposition. This work suggests that the porous 3D SF scaffolds may be a potential candidate in the bone engineering.     

丝素蛋白/羟基磷灰石复合材料的制备及性能表征

为了改善羟基磷灰石( HAP) 的脆性和新骨诱导性, 采用共沉淀法合成HAP , 盐溶法制备丝素蛋白(SF) , 在胶体状态下将HAP 和SF 复合得到了SF/ HAP 复合材料。采用扫描电镜(SEM) 、X 射线衍射(XRD) ,傅立叶红外光谱( FIR) 对复合材料结构和化学组成进行了分析, 在模拟体液中检验了复合材料的生物活性, 并对其抗压强度进行了测定。结果表明: HAP 与SF 在纳米尺度进行了复合, 复合材料中SF 主要以β-折叠构象存在,酰胺Ⅴ红外特征峰消失,β-折叠构象的其他峰发生了移动, 表明HAP 与SF 间存在化学结合; 模拟体液中浸泡18 天后, 复合材料表面形成了片层状的HAP ; 与纯的HAP 晶体比较, 复合材料结构稳定, 具有较好生物活性和骨诱导性, 其抗压强度可达63 MPa , 可望成为理想的骨组织替换和工程支架材料。      

Blend films of silk fibroin and water-insoluble polyurethane prepared from an ionic liquid

In order to blend the water-insoluble and biocompatible polyurethane (PU) with silk fibroin (SF) to prepare water-insoluble films as a biomaterial, the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl), was used to prepare a SF/BMIMCl solution, which was directly blended with PU solution in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Infrared spectroscopy indicated that the solution blending led to chemical bonding between the two polymers and a β-sheet structure was the main conformation of SF in the films. The hydrophilicity of the films increased with the content of SF, based on contact angle measurements. The composite showed good blood compatibility in coagulation time tests and has potential biomaterial applications.