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Cover Image, Volume 134, Issue 48
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.45744
Subject(s) - polymer , sodium polyacrylate , polymer science , materials science , volume (thermodynamics) , porosity , cover (algebra) , superabsorbent polymer , chemical engineering , matrix (chemical analysis) , swelling , computer science , composite material , chemistry , raw material , physics , organic chemistry , mechanical engineering , engineering , quantum mechanics
Luciana Sartore and colleagues prepared novel biocomposites by melt‐blending crosslinked particles of sodium polyacrylate—commonly used as superabsorbent polymer (SAP)—and a poly‐L‐lactic acid (PLLA) matrix. The resulting polymeric biphasic system showed excellent swelling properties, demonstrating that cross‐linked particles retain their superabsorbent ability even if distributed in a thermoplastic polymeric matrix. Furthermore, in aqueous environments the particles swell and are leached from the PLLA matrix to generate very high porosity. These new open‐pore foams produced in absence of organic solvents or chemical foaming agents, show good physico‐mechanical properties and appear very promising for several applications, such as in the production of scaffolds for tissue engineering. (DOI: 10.1002/app.45655 ).