Sustainable Fibrous Biocomposites for Tissue Engineering From Renewable Polymers via Solution Blow Spinning

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study presents the development of sustainable fibrous biocomposites based on natural rubber (NR) and castor oil‐based polyurethane (PUR), reinforced with 45S5‐K bioactive glass (BL0) particles, using the solution blow spinning (SBS) technique. The resulting materials displayed well‐formed fibrous mats with diameters ranging from 70 to 100 μm and an evident improvement in mechanical strength with the incorporation of BL0, reaching a maximum tensile strength of (2.91 ± 0.57 MPa) in the biocomposite with 20 wt% BL0. Thermogravimetric analyses (TG/DTG) under nitrogen atmosphere revealed that, despite a modest reduction in thermal stability with increasing BL0 content, all samples remained stable up to 250°C, which is suitable for biomedical applications. DMA results indicated that the addition of BL0 particles enhanced the stiffness of the biocomposites, as evidenced by higher storage modulus values and broader viscoelastic profiles. Biological assays confirmed that all fibrous biocomposite samples, with the exception of the one containing 30 wt% BL0, maintained cell viability above 70%, thus meeting ISO 10993‐5:2009 standards. These findings highlight the potential of NR‐PUR/BL0 fibrous biocomposites as sustainable scaffolds for regenerative medicine, particularly for applications in tissue engineering.