A new class of bio-composite materials of unique collagen fibers

作者：Sharabi Mirit; Mandelberg Yael; Benayahu Dafna; Benayahu Yehuda; Azem Abdussalam; Haj Ali Rami^*

来源：Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 2014, 36: 71-81.

DOI：10.1016/j.jmbbm.2014.04.008

• Collagen
• Bio-composite
• Soft tissue
• Mechanical behavior
• Hyperelastic

A novel collagen-based bio-composite was constructed from micro-crimped long collagen fiber bundles extracted from a soft coral embedded in alginate hydrogel matrix. The mechanical features of this bio-composite were studied for different fiber fractions and in longitudinal and transverse loading modes. The tensile modulus of the alginate hydrogel was 0.60 +/- 0.35 MPa and in longitudinal collagen-reinforced construct it increased up to 9.71 +/- 2.80 for 50% fiber fraction. Ultimate tensile strength was elevated from 0.08 +/- 0.04 MPa in matrix up to 1.21 +/- 0.29 for fiber fraction of 30%. The bio-composite demonstrated hyperelastic behavior similar to human native tissues. Additionally, a dedicated constitutive material model was developed to enable the prediction of the longitudinal mechanical behavior of the bio-composite. These findings will allow tailor-designed mechanical properties with a quantitatively controlled amount of fibers and their designed spatial arrangement. This unique bio-composite has the potential to be used for a wide range of engineered soft tissues.

• 出版日期2014-8