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The effect of UV irradiation on the electrospun PCL/TiO 2 composites fibers
Author(s) -
Bajsić Emi Govorčin,
Mijović Budimir,
Penava Nina Vranješ,
Grgurić Tamara Holjevac,
Slouf Miroslav,
Zdraveva Emilija
Publication year - 2016
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.43539
Subject(s) - electrospinning , crystallinity , materials science , composite number , polycaprolactone , composite material , irradiation , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , titanate , thermal stability , photocatalysis , chemical engineering , polymer , chemistry , ceramic , catalysis , organic chemistry , physics , nuclear physics , engineering
The effect of UV irradiation and micro‐ and nano‐TiO 2 as well as titanate nanotubes (TiNT) on the phase morphology and thermal properties of the electrospun PCL composite fibers was investigated. Polycaprolactone (PCL)/TiO 2 (micro‐ and nano‐TiO 2 as well as titanate nanotubes) composite fibers were prepared by electrospinning a polymer solution. The PCL and PCL/TiO 2 composite fibers were exposed to UV light at irradiation times of 5 and 10 days. After UV irradiation the crystallinity of the electrospun PCL/TiNTcomposite fibers increased because of the large specific surface area of TiNT. The thermal stability of the PCL/TiNT electrospun composite fibers increased due to the formation of crosslinking structure after UV irradiation. The SEM analysis suggests that after UV radiation the fibers showed high degree of degradation due to the high number of fibers breakages and fibers surface voids. The results of FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that the TiO 2 particles enhance the degradation process because of their photocatalytic activity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133 , 43539.