We report a mathematical model of the supercritical fluid foaming (SCF) from the poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) + CO 2 system based on the Laws of Conservation of Momentum and Conservation of Mass. The main model assumptions are constant temperature, negligible inertial effects, Newtonian and incompressible fluid, equal-sized bubble, constant bubbles density, and no interaction among bubbles. We present the model step-by-step, explain its parameter determination in detail, and demonstrate new insight into the model capability for predicting an unreported trend for bubble growth rate. For model validation, porous PCL scaffolds were fabricated using SCF at the pressure from 100 to 400 bar, temperature from 37 to 50 °C, the solubilization time of 2 h, and two-step depressurization rates (28.6 and 200 bar/min). The model results are in an acceptable agreement with the experimental data in terms of scaffold pore radius and scaffold porosity.
Homogeneous nanofibers and non-cytotoxic HA/PVA membranes were produced by conventional electrospinning method followed by photocrosslinking process, without using any organic solvent. The membranes showed great potential for biomedical applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.