Effect of processing conditions on the performance of polymer-based materials for biomedical applications

JIMENA SOLEDAD GONZALEZ; LEANDRO LUDUEÑA; VERA ALEJANDRA ALVAREZ

Granada

Congreso; European Polymer Congress 2011 XII Congress of the Specialized Group of Polymers; 2011

European Polymer Federation Specialized Group of Polymers (GEP) Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC)

Biocompatible polymers likepolycaprolactone (PCL) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) haveseveral interesting properties that make them veryinteresting for biomedical applications; nevertheless manyof them depend of the processing method.In the case of wound dressing, the incorporation ofnancoclays into PCL improves mainly the barrier [1] andmechanical properties [2]. This enhancement is stronglyrelated with the clay dispersion degree [3]. The propertiesof PVA cryogels mostly depends on the crosslinking [4]and crystallinity degree [5]. On the other hand, it is stillunclear the ro le that processing variables, such as thenumbers of freezing/thawing (F/T) cycles, the cycle extent,the freezing temperature, , the polymer concentration andits molecular weight (Mw) play on the significantproperties of the material.The aim of this work was to analyze the effect ofprocessing variables on the improvement of specificproperties of of PCL-clay and PVA-hydrogel to be used aswound healing.