Search

Blending Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) with Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is promising to obtain a composite scaffold combining the excellent biomechanical properties of PEEK and the remarkable degradability of PVA. However, the weak interfacial bonding between nonpolar PEEK and polar PVA would result in poor mechanical properties. In this study, owing to its unique amphiphilic properties, graphene oxide (GO) was employed to enhance the interfacial bonding between PEEK and PVA in PEEK/PVA scaffolds that were fabricated by laser 3D printing. On the one hand, the large π-conjugated structure of GO formed strong π-π interactions with the benzene rings in PEEK. On the other hand, the oxygen-containing groups of GO formed strong hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups of PVA. As a result, the interfacial free energy between PEEK and PVA decreased from 37.4 to 29.6 mJ/m2 according to the harmonic-mean rule, and the PVA phase in PEEK matrix became much fine and uniform, indicating a reinforced interfacial bonding. Correspondingly, the strength and modulus of PEEK/PVA scaffolds increased by 97.16% and 147.06%, respectively, for a GO loading of 1%. Furthermore, the scaffolds exhibited good hydrophilicity and degradability, and promoted cell attachment and proliferation in vitro and osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-phase flow through natural porous media is affected by the interfacial coupling that takes place across the interfaces located in a porous medium. Such coupling may be of two types: viscous and capillary. In this study, defining equations for the capillary and viscous coupling parameters have been constructed. Moreover, these equations, together with a modified form of Kalaydjian's transport equations, have been used to analyze interfacial coupling in two-phase flow through porous media. On the basis of the analysis carried out, it is argued that interfacial coupling has no effect on steady-state, cocurrent flow, and only a small effect on unsteady-state, cocurrent flow. Moreover, it is suggested that interfacial coupling has a significant effect on steady-state, countercurrent How, Two methods were used to test the theory. In the first method, data from steady-state, cocurrent, and countercurrent experiments were used to show that experimentally determined values of the capillary coupling parameters were in good agreement with those predicted theoretically. Because of experimental problems, it was not possible to determine experimentally, when using the first method, the magnitude of the viscous coupling parameters. In the second method, data from steady-stale and unsteady-state, cocurrent flow experiments, using fluids having different viscosity ratios, and porous media having different grain-size distributions, were used to test the theory. Because of a lack of sufficient precision in the measured data, it was not possible to make definitive statements with respect to the adequacy of the theory, or the possible impact of viscosity ratio and grain-size distribution on capillary coupling. Moreover, for the same reason, it was not possible to obtain reliable estimates of the magnitude of the capillary coupling parameters. Because the second method is based on the assumption that viscous coupling is negligible, it was not possible to use this method to determine experimentally the magnitude of the viscous coupling parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]