Complex Geometry Cellulose Hydrogels Using a Direct Casting Method

Type of content
Journal Article
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
en
Date
2020
Authors
Najaf Zadeh H
Huber T
Nock V
Fee C
Clucas D
Abstract

To facilitate functional hydrogel part production using the indirect wax mould method, it is necessary to understand the relationships between materials, process and mould removal. This research investigated the thermophysical properties, wettability and surface roughness of wax template moulds in the production of cellulose hydrogel objects. Cellulose gel was thermally formed and shaped in three different wax moulds—high melting point paraffin, sacrificial investment casting wax and Solidscape® wax—by physical cross-linking of polymer networks of cellulose solution in NaOH/urea aqueous solvent. All three wax moulds were capable of casting cellulose hydrogel objects. Cellulose gelling time was reduced by increasing the temperature. Thus, the mould melting temperature had a direct effect on the gelling time. It was found that mould removal time varied based on the contact angle (CA) of the cellulose solution and the mould, and based on the melting point of the mould. A higher CA of cellulose solution on the wax moulds resulted in faster mould removal. When melting the wax in 90 °C water, high melting point paraffin, sacrificial investment casting and Solidscape® wax took about 3, 2 and 1½ h, respectively, to remove the moulds from the cellulose gel.

Description
Citation
Najaf Zadeh H, Huber T, Nock V, Fee C, Clucas D Complex Geometry Cellulose Hydrogels Using a Direct Casting Method. Bioengineering. 7(2). 58-58.
Keywords
cellulose, hydrogel, physical cross-linking, investment casting, wax mould
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Field of Research::03 - Chemical Sciences::0303 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry
Fields of Research::34 - Chemical sciences::3403 - Macromolecular and materials chemistry::340306 - Polymerisation mechanisms
Rights
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).