Open-Pore Biodegradable Foams Prepared via Gas Foaming and Microparticulate Templating

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 8; no. 7; pp. 655 - 664
• Main Authors: Salerno, Aurelio, Iannace, Salvatore, Netti, Paolo A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 07.07.2008; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Applied sciences; biodegradable; Cellular; Exact sciences and technology; foams; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; gradient; Particle Size; poly(ε-caprolactone); Polyesters - chemistry; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Porosity; scaffold; Sodium Chloride - chemistry; Technology of polymers; Open cell porosity; Carbon dioxide; Temperature effect; Sodium chloride; Solvent extraction; Cellular plastic; Dimension spectrum; Structure processing relationship; Pore size; Foaming process; Morphology; Concentration effect; Manufacturing; Plastics; Polycaprolactone; Filler
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.200700278

Open‐pore biodegradable foams with controlled porous architectures were prepared by combining gas foaming and microparticulate templating. Microparticulate composites of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and micrometric sodium chloride particles (NaCl), in concentrations ranging from 70/30 to 20/80 wt.‐% of PCL/NaCl were melt‐mixed and gas‐foamed using carbon dioxide as physical blowing agent. The effects of microparticle concentration, foaming temperature, and pressure drop rate on foam microstructure were surveyed and related to the viscoelastic properties of the polymer/microparticle composite melt. Results showed that foams with open‐pore networks can be obtained and that porosity, pore size, and interconnectivity may be finely modulated by optimizing the processing parameters. Furthermore, the ability to obtain a spatial gradient of porosity embossed within the three‐dimensional polymer structure was exploited by using a heterogeneous microparticle filling. Results indicated that by foaming composites with microparticle concentration gradients, it was also possible to control the porosity and pore‐size spatial distribution of the open‐pore PCL foams.