Development of high strength nanocomposite for biodegradable stents

Abstract

The use of biodegradable polymer materials are considered to be good alternatives in urology (Donohue et. al. 2018), cardiovascular (Brie et. al. 2016) and tracheal airway stenosis which provide support before it is absorbed by the body over a period of time and also in oesophageal and gastroenterology fields (Zhu et. al. 2011). However, polymer on its own do not possess all the required properties for use in high strain environment. Hence, in this study Polylactic acid (PLA) is blended with Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) through extrusion. The influence of the screw speeds during extrusion was investigated and it was found to have a significant positive impact on the mechanical and thermal properties of the extruded PLA/HNT nanocomposite.