INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF ZINC OXID CONTENT AND SCAFFOLD MORPHOLOGY ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLY(ε-CAPROLACTONE) / ZINC OXIDE NANOCAMPOSITE SCAFFOLDS

In the present study, PCL/ZnO nanocomposite scaffolds containing 0, 5, and 15 wt.% of ZnO nanoparticles were prepared via the salt leaching/solvent casting method. The influence of ZnO nanoparticles on the morphology of prepared PCL/ZnO scaffolds was investigated using SEM images. The compressive strength test evaluated the effect of scaffolds’ morphology on mechanical properties. The XRD technique confirmed the desired phases in the scaffold composition. The results showed that the compressive strength and structural integrity of the scaffolds increased by increasing ZnO nanoparticles content as the reinforcement. However, the compressive strength and structural integrity decreased by increasing the amount of ZnO nanoparticles up to more than 5 wt.%. In summary, PCL/ZnO nanocomposite scaffold containing 5 wt.% of ZnO nanoparticles revealed the highest strength, compressive modulus, and structural integrity.