Thermal, mechanical and degradation properties of flexible poly (1,3-trimethylene carbonate)/poly (L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) blends

The material used for soft tissue should be flexible and elastic. Poly (1,3-trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) and poly (L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone) (PLCL) were flexible and elastic bioabsorbable polymers. PLCL of various content (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt%) was blended into PTMC by the solution co-precipitation method to improve the mechanical properties and adjust the degradation rate of PTMC. The thermal, mechanical, and degradation properties of PTMC/PLCL blends were studied. FTIR showed that the blend of PTMC and PLCL was a physical process. The morphology of fracture surfaces showed that the compatibility of PTMC and PLCL changed with the composition. There was obvious phase separation in PTMC/PLCL (50/50). PTMC / PLCL blends had two glass transition temperatures. The compatibility observed by DSC was consistent with the results of the SEM images of the fracture surfaces. PTMC / PLCL (70/30) had the largest tensile strength up to 19.0 Mpa. The elastic modulus of the blends didn't change very much with their composition. Compared with pure PTMC, PTMC/PLCL blends showed a higher rate of degradation. However, the PTMC/PLCL blend can provide higher mechanical strength than PTMC during the 12-week degradation period. Meanwhile, cell experiments showed that the PTMC/PLCL blend was non-toxic and didn't affect the growth and proliferation of the cell. Therefore, PTMC/PLCL with suitable flexibility and elasticity, excellent biocompatibility, and inherent biodegradability can provide a promising alternative choice for the application of soft tissue implants, such as a ureteral stent.