Fibrous scaffolds are often the foundation for regenerative medicine in applications such as wound healing due to intrinsically high porosity and surface area to volume ratio that allows for proper nutrient transportation and cell proliferation. Recently, we have demonstrated that highly scalable, melt coextrusion is an attractive and sustainable method to generate nano/microfiber scaffolds with high surface area due to their rectangular cross-sections and enhanced mechanics via post-processing strategies. This innovative processing method utilizes two immiscible polymers that are first melted at 200<sup>o</sup>C so that they have matching viscosities. Once the polymers are in the melt state, they pass through a series of multiplication steps that manipulate the flow in a manner such that the product has a composite structure. The fibers are then isolated after the composite tapes undergo a washing and delamination process. We have generated poly(caproactone) (PCL) fibers via this manufacturing approach and subsequent post-drawing with tunable dimensions ( 2.6 ± 0.6 μm X 1.6 ± 0.4 μm to 0.31 ± 0.05 μm by 0.13 ± 0.02 μm), corresponding to a 2.5X increase in surface area and a 30x increase in modulus. Dual-component, extruded polyolefin fiber scaffolds have also been fabricated, with similar modulation of fiber cross-section and modulus. This work examines the morphology and mechanics of extruded fibers derived of a blend of PCL and poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). The viscosity of the more ridge PLLA was modified utilizing low molecular weight polyethylene glycol as a compatibilizer during the extrusion process. Additionally, a second delamination step was implemented to obtain isolated bundles of fibers with dimensions of 2.2 ± 0.3 μm X and 0.71 ± 0.9 μm . By manipulating the crystalline orientation and morphology of these extruded fibers, we are able to tailor the mechanics and degradation profile of the material.

Tailoring the mechanics and degradation of polyester fibers through manipulating structure and morphology

255th National Meeting (2018)

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