Polycaprolactone

Chemical properties

intrinsic viscosity 1.00-1.30

The Uses of Polycaprolactone

Extrusion aid, die lubricant, mold release, pigment and filler dispersion aid and polyester segments in urethanes and block polyesters.

The Uses of Polycaprolactone

Biodegradable, biocompatible, and bioresorbable polymer composed of ε-caprolactone. This semi-crystalline material has been used in the fabrication of research medical devices and research tissue engineering solutions, such as orthopedic or soft tissue fixation devices. Degradation of this material has been thoroughly studied and has been shown to be safely resorbed by the body after implantation. Modification of molecular weight and polymer composition allows for control of the degradation rate and mechanical stability of the polymer.

The Uses of Polycaprolactone

Research applications of this material include:

• Tissue engineering scaffolds.
• 3D Bioprinting.
• Drug delivery applications such as sustained release.

Definition

ChEBI: Hexano-6-lactone is a epsilon-lactone that is oxepane substituted by an oxo group at position 2.

Properties and Applications

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable, semicrystalline polyester for use in tissue engineering and drug delivery research applications. Due to the increased length of the aliphatic chain, polycaprolactone degrades significantly slower than other common biodegradable polymers, such as polylactide. PCL features a low melting point (55-60 °C), making it ideal for thermal processing and increasing its use in novel applications such as 3D bioprinting. In addition to its favorable thermal properties, PCL also features high solubility in organic solvent allowing for a multitude of other processing options. This product features low residual water, monomer, and catalyst (tin) making it an ideal choice for use in tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting research.

Reactivity Profile

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is biodegradable polyester with a low melting point of around 60 °C and a glass transition temperature of about 60 °C. PCL is prepared by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone using a catalyst such as stannous octanoate[1]. Polycaprolactone is a semicrystalline linear polyester produced by ring-opening polymerisation of epsilon-caprolactone, which is commonly derived from fossil carbon. It has a much lower glass-transition temperature (Tg = ? 60 °C) than other biodegradable polymers, which assists its biodegradability despite its high degree of crystallinity, typically 50%[2].

References

[1] McKeen, L. “1 – Introduction to Use of Plastics in Food Packaging.” 2013. 1-15.
[2] Abdelhamid, Hani Nasser. “Biodegradable Polymer Nanocomposites.” 2023. 0.