Bioactive glass reinforced polyurethane scaffold effect of hard segment content of polyurethane
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Date
2018-06
Authors
Yew, Lih Wei
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Abstract
This study emphasized on the effect of hard segment content of polyurethane (PU) on the
properties of bioactive glass (BG) reinforced PU. Five types of bioactive glass (BG)
reinforced PU scaffolds with 40 wt.% to 55 wt.% hard segment content of PU were
fabricated by salt leaching method. PU with different hard segment contents were
synthesized through two-step polymerization. Before in vitro immersion in Hank’s
Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), the fabricated scaffolds were characterized based on
morphological, structural, physical and mechanical properties using field emission
scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR),
porosity test and compression test. The scaffolds were successfully fabricated with more
than 75% porosity with open pores of 110 – 400 µm which is suitable for bone tissue
applications. Compressive strength of the scaffolds ranges from 0.14 MPa to 0.4 MPa. In
vitro experiments were carried out to investigate the bioactivity and biodegradation of the
scaffolds upon immersion in HBSS. The surface morphology and chemical properties of
the scaffolds were evaluated and revealed the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) layer
onto the surface of the scaffolds. Scaffolds fabricated with the highest hard segment
content showed the lowest degradation rate. The dissolution of decreased Ca and P ions
product into HBSS confirmed that the BG reacted to form the HA layer.