Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7890576 | Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing | 2016 | 30 Pages |
Abstract
Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels with a water content of â¼92% were successfully prepared with glutaraldehyde (GA) as a cross-linker. The effects of the CNC content on the thermal stability, swelling ratio and mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the cross-linked hydrogels were investigated. The compressive strength at 60% strain for the hydrogels with 1Â wt% CNCs increased by 303%, from 17.5Â kPa to 53Â kPa. The creep results showed that the addition of CNCs decreased the creep elasticity due to molecular chain restriction. The almost complete strain recovery (â¼97%) after fixed load removal for 15Â min was observed from the hydrogels with CNCs, compared with 92% strain recovery of the neat cross-linked PVA hydrogels. The incorporation of CNCs did not affect the swelling ratio and thermal stability of the hydrogels. These results suggest the cross-linked CNC-PVA hydrogels have potential for use in biomedical and tissue engineering applications.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Ceramics and Composites
Authors
Supachok Tanpichai, Kristiina Oksman,