Weight Loss and Morphology Changes of Electrospun Poly(ε-caprolactone) Yarns During in vitro Degradation

In this study, the in vitro degradation of yarns made from PCL electrospun fibers containing various concentrations of ampicillin sodium salt was investigated. PCL fibers were electrospun and collected as well-aligned fiber bundles and then twisted into yarns. Yarn weight loss, morphology changes in the yarns, and morphology changes in the fiber microstructure with degradation were evaluated. Results showed that the electrospun PCL yarns degraded slowly with a weight loss less than 3 % in 12 weeks. The addition of various concentrations of ampicillin salt increased the degradation rate slightly. The morphological changes observed in fiber microstructure suggested that the degradation underwent bulk erosion and the degradation began with the amorphous regions. Revealed by the fiber morphological changes with degradation, the microstructure of electrospun PCL fibers followed the fringed fibril fiber model. The fiber arrangement in the yarn was impaired by the in vitro degradation environment as well.