Date of Award

Summer 8-16-2024

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biological Engineering

Advisor

Michael Mason

Second Committee Member

Mehdi Tajvidi

Third Committee Member

Renee Kelly

Abstract

The use of plastics has increased significantly within the past few years. The versatile properties within this material set have enabled them to be adopted into many different industries. They tend to possess excellent vapor and liquid barrier properties, adjustable mechanical properties, and can be designed for specific heating and electrical applications. One specific industry that has capitalized on plastics is the medical industry. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a class of subset plastic materials, single-use plastics, have been utilized. These single-use devices are typically used for a short time and quickly discarded. These items can range from masks to gloves and even IV bags. While these materials possess properties that are ideal for their design, they are over-engineered for their purpose. They are generally used within 24 hours but are sometimes designed to last 100s years. Not only that, but they are difficult to dispose of. Incineration can release greenhouse gases into the air, mechanical degradation can produce microplastics, and landfilling is a temporary solution that will create future complications. Therefore, alternative single-use plastic materials must be designed to possess properties similar to current ones but can naturally degrade in a much shorter period.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) emerge as a crucial solution to the single-use plastic problem in the medical industry. Among the many biodegradable materials under research, CNF's sustainability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability make it a compelling candidate for biomedical research. Its unique geometric and surface properties make it chemically and mechanically versatile, including hydrophilicity, high mechanical strength, and moderate porosity in bulk formulations. These properties have led to extensive research into the potential of dense CNF-based solid composites in healthcare-related applications, from disposable surgical tools to resorbable implants. The urgency of finding a solution to the single-use plastic problem in the medical industry cannot be overstated, and CNF offers a promising path forward.

Despite significant progress and even some commercial interest, several key unknowns remain that must be addressed to fully realize the potential of CNF as an alternative to single-use plastics in the medical industry. The rehydration and degradability of CNF when introduced to water are current complications within the material. One potential method is to use a crosslinking agent within the CNF to address this. More potential complications are the low dispersion of minerals throughout the material and low cell viability. To overcome this, an enhanced dispersion method of a biological mineral into CNF will be designed and tested. This will alleviate the current lack of mineral dispersion while also expanding the cell viability of the material. Bioglass will also be added to CNF to explore further and enhance the cell viability of CNF while attempting to retain the desired mechanical properties of the dried material. Finally, adapting a standard metal fabrication process will try to reduce the overall internal strain that CNF naturally possesses. This ongoing research and experimentation demonstrate the commitment to creating a more desired and suitable alternative product to medical-grade plastics.

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