The Influence of Pulsed Electron Beam Treatment on Properties of PLLA Nonwoven Materials Produced by Solution Blow Spinning

One of the most important aspects in nonwoven materials fabrication in case biodegradable scaffolds is the control of their degradation rate which must correlate with a speed of tissue regeneration. Radiation treatment based on electron beam irradiation is one of the promising methods for control over polymer degradation. The effect of nanosecond pulsed electron beam irradiation on properties of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) nonwoven materials produced by solution blow spinning (SBS) method was investigated. Modification of nonwoven materials was performed in electron beam accelerator with absorbed dose from 26 to 260 kGy. Properties of the nonwoven materials were examined by means of viscosity measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was shown that pulsed electron beam exposure leads to the reduction of polymer molecular weight and recrystallization. It was shown that pulsed electron beam modification of PLLA nonwoven materials changes their physical and chemical properties that allows considering this method as a potential technology for the manipulation of polymer degradation rate and fabrication of polymer materials with required properties.