Evaluation of water uptake and mechanical properties of biomedical polymers |
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| Authors: | Elvira Vidovi? Doris Klee Hartwig Höcker |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, , 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;2. Rectorate at RWTH Aachen University, , 52062 Aachen, Germany;3. Department of Textile and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen, , 52056 Aachen, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Poly(vinyl alcohol) grafted with poly(d,l ‐lactide) or poly(d,l ‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) oligomers, were synthesized in our laboratory and investigated with respect to their potential for tissue engineering applications. In order to understand their structure–properties relationships the effect of length and composition as well as number of polyester grafts on PVA backbone chain on water uptake capability and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity balance and on mechanical properties of hydrogels was evaluated. The E moduli of hydrogels display values between 0.01 and 100 MPa. The results indicate the route for the development of polymers with a very broad range of properties similar to those of natural cartilage tissue. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3682–3688, 2013 |
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| Keywords: | biomaterials mechanical properties swelling |
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