Biocompatibility Assessment of Poly(lactic acid) Films after Sterilization with Ethylene Oxide in Histological Study In Vivo with Wistar Rats and Cellular Adhesion of Fibroblasts In Vitro

Biomaterials must meet certain fundamental requirements for their usage in living beings, such as biocompatibility, bifunctionality, and sterilizability, without having chemical and structural changes. The biocompatibility of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films, shaped by compression, was evaluated after sterilization by ethylene oxide by a histological in vivo test with Wistar rats and cytotoxicity in cell adhesion in vitro. The cytotoxicity test was performed by the reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT). Thermal and chemical changes in PLA films concerning the proposed sterilization process and characteristics were not observed to evidence polymer degradation due to sterilization. The analysis of the cytotoxicity by the MTT method has shown that the sterilized PLA films are not cytotoxic. The adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts on PLA films were homogeneously distributed over the evaluation period, showing an elongated appearance with unnumbered cytoplasmic extensions and cell-cell interactions. By examining the biocompatibility in a histological study, a mild tissue inflammation was observed with the presence of fibrosis in the samples that had been exposed for 21 days in the rats’ bodies. PLA films sterilized with ethylene oxide did not exhibit cell adhesion in vitro and toxicity to the surrounding tissue in vivo and they may be used in future in vivo testing, according to histological findings in Wistar rats in the present study

Propriedades reométricas e mecânicas e morfologia de compósitos desenvolvidos com resíduos elastoméricos vulcanizados Cure characteristics, mechanical properties and morphology of composites developed with addition of elastomeric vulcanized ground scraps

Uma alternativa para as empresas geradoras de resíduos elastoméricos é a incorporação dos mesmos em suas formulações. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo preparar compósitos a partir da incorporação de resíduos industriais de SBR (copolímero de butadieno-estireno) e de EPDM (terpolímero de etileno-propileno-dieno), em formulação ASTM específica para cada tipo de elastômero. Foram avaliadas as propriedades reométricas, mecânicas e morfológicas dos compósitos desenvolvidos. A incorporação do resíduo permitiu a obtenção de produtos que vulcanizam em menores tempos quando comparados a composições sem resíduo. A quantidade de resíduo, para o melhor resultado de resistência à tração foi de 37 e de 196 phr para os compósitos com SBR e EPDM, respectivamente. As micrografias de MEV corroboraram os resultados mecânicos dessas composições, indicando melhor homogeneidade do resíduo na respectiva matriz elastomérica.One alternative for elastomeric scraps generation is its incorporation in conventional formulations in the industry itself. In this work, compositions with incorporation of SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) industrial scraps, in specific ASTM formulation for each elastomer, were prepared. Rheometric characteristics, mechanical properties and the morphology of the compounds developed were evaluated. With the ground scraps incorporation the vulcanization time decreases, comparing with compounds without ground scraps. The amount of scraps for the best tensile strength properties was 37 and 196 phr for SBR and EPDM compositions, respectively. Micrographs corroborated the mechanical results, indicating the best homogeneity of the scraps in the elastomeric matrix for these compositions

Degradação biológica do PVC em aterro sanitário e avaliação microbiológica Biological degradation of PVC in landfill and microbiological evaluation

O poli(cloreto de vinila) (PVC) é um dos polímeros utilizado no campo das embalagens e no setor calçadista, e, em função da sua aplicação diversificada, apresenta elevados percentuais em aterros domésticos e industriais. É um polímero amorfo podendo apresentar diferentes teores de plastificante e outros aditivos responsáveis pela sua estabilização, os quais podem influenciar no tempo de vida útil e nas propriedades do produto final. Este trabalho apresenta o estudo da degradação química e biológica de filmes de poli(cloreto de vinila) flexível (PVC-f), no aterro sanitário São Giácomo, na cidade de Caxias do Sul/RS, antes e após 330 dias de disposição. As amostras de PVC-f antes e após a disposição no aterro sanitário foram avaliadas por análise térmica (TGA), estrutural (FT-IR) e morfológica (MEV e MO). Observou-se que as amostras de PVC-f dispostas no aterro sanitário (PVC-fa), apresentam um único evento de perda de massa, em relação ao PVC-f não degradado ou virgem (PVC-fv), além de um maior % de perda de massa e de mudanças estruturais. Nas amostras de PVC-fa foram observadas modificações morfológicas importantes para descrever os fenômenos de degradação como erosão da superfície, bioerosão, que propiciaram a ação das leveduras, bactérias e fungos presentes no meio no polímero aterrado.<br>The poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) is one of the polymers used in the field of packing materials and footwear sector, and due its diversified applications, it has presented in a high percentage of domestic and industrial landfills It is an amorphous polymer and may present different levels of plasticizer and other additives responsible for its stabilization, which can influence the lifetime and the properties of the final product. This work presents the study of the chemical and biological degradation of poly (vinyl chloride) flexible (PVC-f) films, at São Giácomo landfill, in Caxias do Sul city after 330 days of disposition. The samples of PVC-f were evaluated by thermal (TGA), structural (FT-IR) and morphological (MEV and MO) analysis after disposition. Samples of PVC-f disposed to landfill (PVC-fa) showed a single event of weight loss, when compared to PVC-f undegraded or virgin (PVC-fv), besides a higher weight loss and structural changes. In the PVC-fa samples, morphological modifications were observed, which are very important to describe the degradation phenomenon as superficial erosion and bioerosion, which propitiated the action of the yeast, bacteria and fungi present in the environment on the disposed polymer