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Abstract
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In this work, the foaming process of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-Gelatin (Gel)/Carbon nanotube (CNT) composites in a highpressure batch foaming technique using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) was investigated. The foamability of PVA as a semi-crystalline biopolymer was significantly improved after adding the gelatin content as a plasticizer and CNT as a nucleating agent in the blends. The suitable intermolecular interactions in PVA-Gel/CNT blends were confirmed using DSC analysis. It was concluded that with the addition of Gel to blends, a significant change from close to the open-cell structure is
observed in the PVA/Gel blend foams. In this work, we could produce PVA-Gel/CNT foams via the batch foaming process with small cell size (< 9 μm), higher amount of porosity (> 81%), and high biodegradability rate (> 83%) compared to similar foams produced by the solution methods in the literature. Considering the recent parameters, the produced foams are a good candidate for tissue engineering applications. It was believed that this study could provide the strategy for manufacturing
PVA-Gel/CNT foams with a controlled and flexible cellular structure.
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