Preparation and mechanical property of core-shell type chitosan/calcium phosphate composite fiber

Core-shell type chitosan/calcium phosphate composite fibers were prepared by a facile wet spinning method; the chitosan aqueous solution with PO4 ions was dropped and coagulated in the ethanol/calcium hydroxide solutions at different mixed ratio. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that the crystal phases of calcium phosphates in the composite fibers were a low-crystalline hydroxyapatite (HAp; Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2)or the low-crystalline hydroxyapatite/brushite mixture depended on the ratio of ethanol/calcium hydroxide solutions. The inorganic contents were ca. 60 wt.% by using the TG-DTA analysis. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis indicated that Ca and P atoms were mainly distributed on the outer layer of the composite fiber to grow calcium phosphate crystals; however, a little amount of P atom still remained at the inside of the fiber. This indicated that the composite fibers formed a unique core-shell structure with shell of calcium phosphate and core of chitosan. The mechanical property of the fibers was reinforced by the initial concentration of chitosan solution.