Assessment of the structures contribution (crystalline and mesophases) and mechanical properties of polycaprolactone/pluronic blends

Films of biodegradable blends of polycaprolactone (PCL) and Pluronics F68 and F127 were manufactured by an industrial thermo-mechanical process to be applied as potential delivery systems. The effects of Pluronics on the structure (mesophase organization), and thermal and mechanical properties of po...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Tenorio Alfonso, Adrián, Vázquez Ramos, Esteban, Martinez García, Inmaculada, Ambrosi, Moira, Raudino, Martina
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositorio:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/22188
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10272/22188
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Polycaprolactone
Pluronic
Mesophase content
Polymer blends
DSC Deconvolution
X-Ray characterization
23 Química
Descripción
Sumario:Films of biodegradable blends of polycaprolactone (PCL) and Pluronics F68 and F127 were manufactured by an industrial thermo-mechanical process to be applied as potential delivery systems. The effects of Pluronics on the structure (mesophase organization), and thermal and mechanical properties of polycaprolactone were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and tensile mechanical tests. The addition of Pluronics affected the crystallization process by changing the relative amounts of crystalline, amorphous, and meso- (condis + plastic) phases. The melting transition and XRD profiles were deconvoluted to assess the individual contribution of the different crystal morphologies. Furthermore, it was found that the mechanical properties of the blends depended on the ratio and type of Pluronic. Thus, Pluronic F127 showed a larger mesophase content than its F68 counterpart with PCL and blends with enhanced ductility