Effects of Bioactive Glass Particles on the Mechanical and Thermal Behavior of Poly(e-caprolactone) E. Diamanti, J. R. Sarasua * Summary: Poly(e-caprolactone)/Bioactive glass (BG) composites were prepared to study the effects of bioactive glass on mechanical and thermal behavior of poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL). Composites were fabricated using a solvent casting/ sonication technique. Composite characterization was conducted by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile tests. Interphase adhesion between filler and matrix, a prerequisite for good mechanical properties, was evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The obtained results showed that BG leaded to an acceleration of the composite thermal degradation accompanied by a general enhancement of the mechanical properties. Keywords: adhesion; biopolymers; bioactive glass; mechanical properties; poly(e-caprolactone) Introduction Reinforcing polymeric biomaterials with bioactive inorganic fillers can be a quite successful strategy to extend the use of composites for medical applications. The use of bioactive fillers such as ceramic phosphates including hydroxyapatite and/ or BG particles may improve both mechan- ical properties and bone regeneration. [1,2] Based upon this idea, hydroxyl apatite (HA) and BG reinforced biodegradable polymer composites have been devel- oped. [3–5] Although mechanical properties of com- posites can be improved to a certain extent by the addition of bioactive fillers there is still a need to improve adhesion between filler and matrix. [2] The objective of this study is also to develop a suitable method to improve the interphase adhesion properties of PCL/BG composites. There have been previous studies in the literature focusing on the composites made by combination of biodegradable polymers and bioglasses. [6,7] In this study we have manufactured PCL/BG composites, as promising materials for tissue engineering applications and further as interesting biomaterials suitable for implants to the human body. PCL/BG films have been prepared via solvent casting configuration and the effects of BG on thermal and mechanical properties of PCL were ana- lyzed. Experimental Part Materials Poly(e-caprolactone) was kindly supplied by Purac Biochem (The Netherlands). Bioglass 1 45S5 was provided by Nova- bone 1 (US) with composition on a weight base 45% SiO 2 , 24.5% Na 2 O, 24.5% CaO, and 6% P 2 O 5 . CHCl 3 was purchased from Panreac (Spain) for use as solvent. Preparation of PCL-BG Films The preparation of PCL/BG composites with different filler concentrations was carried out by solvent casting. PCL pellets were dispersed in chloroform under stir- ring, then a certain amount of BG powder was added into the solution; 0.278 g for Macromol. Symp. 2012, 321-322, 25–29 DOI: 10.1002/masy.201251104 25 Department of Mining Metallurgy and Materials Science, University of the Basque Country (UPV/ EHU), Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Spain E-mail: jr.sarasua@ehu.es Copyright ß 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim wileyonlinelibrary.com