Preparation and characterization of wet-spun porous calcium alginate fibers

In this present study, the physical and morphological properties of the wet-spun porous calcium alginate fibers were investigated, which spun as a simple approach to form controlled porosity with solvent effect and the presence of poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA). PVA was added to the alginate biopolymer, and porous calcium alginate fibers were prepared in aqueous or ethanolic calcium chloride cross-linker solutions by the wet spinning method. Two different molecular weights of PVA, 67,000 g mol⁻¹ and 130,000 g mol⁻¹ were added to the alginate polymer solution at low (0.5% wt) or high (3% wt) concentrations. It has been observed that the existence of ethanol or distilled water as a dissolving agent of calcium chloride cross-linker in the bath is effective in the porosity amount of the fibers obtained by extruding the polymer-forming solution. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the surface and cross-section of the fibers showed that PVA, which was removed from the alginate gel, served as a pore-forming synthetic polymer for alginate fibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry analysis were performed to calcium alginate fibers to investigate the chemical and thermal nature of the fibers. Via this study, the alginate fibers were shown to be obtained as porosity-enhanced materials with a novel strategy. In conclusion, the results of this study are presented to the literature, considering that the mats obtained from the similarly formulated porous alginate fibers of that work could be used in different applications as a surface with superior porous properties in future studies.