Physicochemical Properties of Blend Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) and Sodium Alginate Membranes for Potential Application in Wound Dressings

Author

Martha PieperFollow

Abstract

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) are water-soluble polymers with excellent biocompatibility suitable for biomedical applications in wound dressings. In this study, pure PVA, pure SA, and blends of PVA/SA membranes were solvent cast into films followed by crosslinking in CaCl₂, boric acid, and a mixture of CaCl₂/boric acid solutions for 5, 10, and 30 minutes. Initial feasibility studies showed a strong correlation of film thickness to the observed mechanical properties. Further studies in solvent casting of blend PVA/SA films, using various polymer concentrations, yielded better film appearance with minimal physical changes after crosslinking. The corresponding chemical structures of the PVA/SA films after crosslinking suggested a consolidated molecular packing network, resulting in the increases of their mechanical properties. In general, this work demonstrates the feasibility of solvent casting as well as crosslinking of the polymer films with the intention to provide information in design and manufacturing of wound dressing materials

Date of publication

11-8-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/2315

Committee members

Shih-Feng Chou, Chung Hyun Goh, Ph.D. and Fredericka Brown, Ph.D.

Degree

Master in Mechanical Engineering

Recommended Citation

Pieper, Martha, "Physicochemical Properties of Blend Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) and Sodium Alginate Membranes for Potential Application in Wound Dressings" (2019). Mechanical Engineering Theses. Paper 9.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/2315