Fabrication of Porous Scaffolds from Poly(D,L-lactic acid) by Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation

In this study, porous scaffolds from poly(D,L-lactic acid) have been prepared via liquid- liquid phase separation method in ternary system of polymer-1,4-dioxane-water. Polymer dissolved in dioxane in 1.5, 2.5 and 5 % wt/v and the solvent/non-solvent ratios were 13/87, 15/85 and 17/83. Cloud point curves prepared by visual turbidometry. In order to obtain porous scaffolds with inter-connected pores structure, each system cooled below its cloud point temperature to achieve phase separation then promptly freezed. Furthermore, sublimation in freeze-dryer took place. Scanning electron microscopy have been used to study the morphologies of the scaffold and average pore sizes from 10 to 37 μm were obtained with variation in systems concentrations. Porosity density and of the scaffolds were measured by volumetric method and 85.5% was achieved. The results show that variation in concentration of ternary system has great effect on morphology, pore size and porosity density of the scaffolds.