Monofilament and fibrillated fiber filled polycaprolactone composite films and their properties Monoflament ve fibrilleşmiş fiber dolgulu polikaprolakton kompozit filmler ve özellikleri
Gumushane Universitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.16, sa.3, ss.734-751, 2026 (Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 16 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.17714/gumusfenbil.1780647
- Dergi Adı: Gumushane Universitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.734-751
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Biodegradability, Mechanical characterization, Polycaprolactone fiber composite, Structural characterization, Thermal characterization
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In this study, PCL/fiber composite films were produced to improve the structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of low molecular weight polycaprolactone (PCL) and expand its application area. High-strength polypropylene (PP) fibers, used as fillers in building materials, have been selected as filler materials. PCL/fiber composite films were produced by adding 2.0% by weight (wt.) of monofilament MONOFİRE and POLY 12, and fibrillated POLY 18 fiber fillers to a PCL matrix using a liquid-phase ultrasonic mixing method. Structural, thermal, mechanical characterization, and biodegradability experiments of the PCL/fiber composite films were carried out. It was determined that POLY18 and MONOFIRE filled composite films had the semi-crystalline structure, POLY 12 filled composite film had amorphous structure. The spherical crystal grain patterns of MONOFIRE and POLY 18-filled composite films, resembling PCL but reduced in size, reflected the contribution of these fibers to heterogeneous nucleation. PCL/POLY 18 composite film showed the highest crystal size values of 8.34%, 15.12% and 77.54% in planes (110), (200) and (202) respectively compared to the pure PCL. The observed changes in the degradation and melting temperatures of the composites indicate that Poly 12 and MONOFIRE fillers act as fillers that enhance thermal stability. The effects of the MONOFIRE filler on –CH₂ groups and of the Poly 12 and Poly 18 fillers on oxygen-containing groups (C–O–C and C=O), as identified by FTIR analysis, were reflected in the biodegradability results of the produced composite films. Before the use of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), the MONOFIRE-filled composite film demonstrated degradation rate (3.689%). Following H₂O₂ treatment, the amorphous Poly 12–filled composite exhibited a degradation rate of 4.213%, whereas the MONOFIRE-filled composite film displayed the maximum degradation value of 4.468%. Hardness results indicated that all fiber-filled composite films exhibited higher hardness values compared to pure PCL. The Poly 12 fiber–filled composite film with an amorphous structure exhibited the lowest hardness value, with an increase of 8.36%. The crystalline MONOFIRE-and Poly 18–filled composite films exhibited significant enhancements in hardness, with increases of 47.55% and 104.61%, respectively. The results reveal that Poly 12 is preferential for biomaterial studies, whereas MONOFIRE and Poly 18 are better suited for applications requiring superior thermal and mechanical resistance.