Electrospun porous bio-fibre mat based on polylactide/natural fibre particles

Abstract

A fully bio-based highly porous bio-fibre mat from polylactide (PLA) and bagasse particles (BCp) composite have been investigated for scaffold applications. PLA and BCp were mixed in varying proportions in dichloromethane (DCM) and electrospun (with specific machine parameters) into fibres at varying spin angles (30°, 45° and 90°). A constant weight fraction of BCp (5 wt. %) was used to form solutions with varying concentrations 0.09–0.14 g/ml which were then electrospun into fibres. Mechanical, moisture resistance and morphological characteristics of the fibres were examined. Results reveal that a combination of specific fibre reinforcement, spinneret angle and solution concentration produced a highly porous fibre mat. The presence of the BCp in the electrospun PLA fibre enhanced the fibres’ tensile strength. The study also reveals that fibre mechanical and physical properties are dependent on the spinneret angle and solution concentration.

Keywords

• porous
• bio-fibre mat
• electrospinning
• polylactide
• bagasse
• biofibre