Abstract
Single collagen fibers and nanohydroxyapatite/collagen nanocomposite fibers with 6.4-18.5. wt% hydroxyapatite (HA) content were prepared by electrospinning. Their mechanical properties were systematically investigated at ambient conditions by means of nanotensile tests. A narrow range of fiber diameters, 250-350. nm, was selected for these tests as size effects are observed for the mechanical properties of all the fibers types, namely a decrease as the fiber diameter increases. The pure collagen fibers are found to exhibit tensile properties comparable to natural collagen fibril. Young's modulus of the HA-filled nanocomposite fibers is found to be only slightly higher than that of the pure collagen fibers, but significant improvements in strength, strain and toughness, are obtained. Optimal mechanical properties arise in the 6.4-11.6. wt% HA range.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 185-193 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials |
Volume | 13 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Sep 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Collagen
- Electrospun fibers
- Hydroxyapatite
- Mechanical properties
- Nanocomposite
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biomaterials
- Biomedical Engineering
- Mechanics of Materials