Mechanical properties and interfacial interaction of a novel bioabsorbable chitin fiber reinforced poly(ε-caprolactone) composite

The dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer (DMTA) was used to study the interfacial interaction of a bioabsorbable chitin fiber reinforced polycomposite. Chitin polysaccharide due to its biodegradable and biocompatible properties was widely used as biomedical materials in sutures, wound dressings and controlled drug-released vehicles. Tensile and flexile tests investigated the mechanical properties with varying chitin amounts. Results of the tests showed that the reinforcement of chitin fiber did not improve the tensile strength of the composite when the fiber content was less than 35%. The maximum strength was obtained for the composite when fiber amount was 45%. Increase of more than 45% decreased the strength of the composite.