Multilevel full factorial design in optimizing polymer type and blend ratio for PLA/PCL and PLLA/PCL electropsun webs

Abstract

Biopolymers have gained attention for tissue engineering researches in the last decade. Polycaprolactone(PCL), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) are highly popular biopolymers for scaffoldfabrication due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. These polymers can be used as blend form to highlight their strengths such as morphological, mechanical, and biological. The blending ratio has an impact on the end product properties so, the structural features of the polymers like molecular weight and viscosity should be considered before surface development. In this study, electrospun fibroussurfaces with various ratios (10/90, 20/80, 30/70, 40/60, and 50/50) of PLA/PCL and PLLA/PCL blends are produced and the effect of polymer type as well as the blending ratio is examined. The findings of the fiber diameter research revealed that depending on the molecular weights of the polymers, the blend ratio has a statistically significant effect on fiber diameter.