Mechanical properties and bioactivity of calcium silicate/poly(ethylene terephthalateco-caprolactone) composites

Abstract

Calcium silicate/poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-caprolactone) (CS/PET-co-PCL) composites were prepared via ring opening polymerisation (ROP) technique. The CS/PET-co-PCL composites were prepared by mixing 60 wt-% of CS, 40 wt-% of cyclics and dibutyl tinoxide catalyst (3 mol.-% with respect to cyclics). The cyclics consisted of the mixture of cyclic oligo(ethylene terephthalate) (COET) and e-caprolactone (CPL) with varying molar ratio of C-OET/CPL, i.e. 7 : 3, 8 : 2 and 9 : 1. The precomposites were then ring opening polymerised at 200°C for 24 h. The ROP-PET-co-PCL in the composites was present as a continuous phase impregnated with the CS particles. The 1HNMR spectra of ROP-PET-co-PCL extracted from the CS/PET-co-PCL composites showed heterolinkage signals between PET and PCL at d 4·4 and d 4·6 ppm, indicating successful copolymerisation. When the PCL content increased, the ROP-PET-co-PCL changed in the copolymer structure from block to random structure. The presence of CS powders in the CS/PETco- PCL composites resulted in high stiffness of the composites and inhibited heat dissipation during the dynamic mechanical analysis performed between 250 and 200°C. The compressive strengths of all the composites were in the range of 16-21 MPa. The higher the PET content, the stronger the CS/PET-co-PCL composites obtained. Composites containing 9 : 1 of C-OET/CPL polymerised at 200°C possessed the highest compressive strengths of 21·3 MPa, falling in the range of cartilage bone, i.e. 14-59 MPa. Bioactivities of the CS/PET-co-PCL composites were studied by soaking in simulated body fluid for 7 days. All CS/PET-co-PCL composites could induce the formation of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals on the composite surfaces, indicating the bioactivity of the CS/PET-co-PCL composites. © W. S. Maney & Son Ltd. 2013.