What are the Physical and Chemical Properties of Polycaprolactone?

Polycaprolactone is an organic high molecular polymer with the chemical formula (C6H10O2)n. It has the property of being well soluble in aromatic compounds, ketones and polar solvents. It is made of ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone using a metal organic compound (such as tetraphenyltin) as a catalyst and dihydroxy or trihydroxy as an initiator. It is polymeric polyester.

What are the Physical and Chemical Properties of Polycaprolactone?

Polycaprolactone appears as a white solid powder, which is non-toxic, insoluble in water, and easily soluble in a variety of polar organic solvents. Polycaprolactone has good shape memory temperature control properties and the physical properties of a nylon-like plastic, softening to a putty-like consistency at just 60°C, which can be achieved easily by simply immersing it in hot water.

The specific heat and conductivity of polycaprolactone are very low, and it is not difficult to operate by hand at this temperature. This makes it ideal for small-scale modeling, part manufacturing, repair of plastic objects, and rapid prototyping where heat resistance is not required. Although softened polycaprolactone adheres readily to many other plastics at higher temperatures, if the surface is cooled, the stickiness can be minimized while still maintaining a flexible quality.

What are the Characteristics of Polycaprolactone?

• Biocompatibility

It has good compatibility with biological cells in the body. Cells can grow normally on its scaffold and can be degraded into CO2 and H2O.

• Biodegradability

In soil and water environments, it can be completely decomposed into CO2 and H2O.

• Good compatibility

It can be well compatible with PE, PP, ABS, AS, PC, PVAC, PVB, PVE, PA, natural rubber, etc.

• Good solvent solubility

It is soluble well in aromatic compounds, ketones and polar solvents.

What is the Degradation Process of Polycaprolactone?

Polycaprolactone is a chemically synthesized biodegradable polymer material. Its molecular structure contains an ester group structure -COO. In nature, the ester group structure is easily decomposed by microorganisms or enzymes, and the final products are CO2 and H2O: The specific process is as follows

Stage 1: The material absorbs moisture from its surrounding environment, a process that takes days or months, depending on the material's properties and surface area.

Stage 2: the polymer backbone breaks the chemical chain due to hydrolysis or enzymatic hydrolysis, resulting in a decrease in molecular weight and mechanical properties.

Stage 3: After the loss of strength, the polymer turns into oligomer fragments and the overall mass begins to decrease.

Stage 4: The oligomers are further hydrolyzed into smaller fragments, which are absorbed by phagocytes, or further hydrolyzed to generate CO2 and H2O.