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Effect of hydrogen‐bond‐breaking reagent (urea) on the dimensional stability of rat tail tendon (RTT) collagen fiber
Author(s) -
Usha R.,
Ramasami T.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.10262
Subject(s) - swelling , scanning electron microscope , urea , fiber , ultimate tensile strength , materials science , composite material , hydrogen bond , polymer chemistry , reagent , chemistry , organic chemistry , molecule
Abstract Influence of hydrogen‐bond‐breaking reagents such as urea on shrinkage temperature, isometric tension, swelling behavior, tensile strength, and percentage extension of native rat tail tendon (RTT) were examined. The swelling behavior was observed with polarizing optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the lyotropic swelling increased the width of the fiber and was associated with the action of urea on the collagen fiber. Hydration properties led to significant variations in the swelling phenomenon. Lyotropic swelling produced opaque, limp, and flaccid fibers that did not change appreciably in length. The melting behavior and the swollen fascicles were clearly seen in scanning electron micrographs of 3 and 6 M urea‐treated RTT. The reduction in the dimensional stability of native RTT collagen fiber on treatment with urea demonstrated the role of secondary structure in the dimensional stabilization of collagen. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 975–982, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10262