Preparation and characterization of polyurethane/soluble eggshell membrane nanofibers.

Superfine Particles (SP) of soluble eggshell membrane and medical grade polyurethane (MPU) blend nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning different blend ratios of SP/MPU suspensions for regeneration of the natural fiber-like structure of the eggshell membrane. The addition of SP had no obvious effect on the electrospinning process of MPU nanofibers, and the SP were randomly dispersed in the MPU nanofibers with no agglomeration of SP when the amount of SP was less than 20 wt%. Although the average diameter of the blend nanofibers is approximately 30% larger than that of the pure MPU nanofibers, they exhibit excellent tensile strength and tensile resilience that are close to those for pure MPU nanofibers. In addition, the blend nanofibers become fully hydrophilic, and the water contact angle of the blend nanofibers decreases dramatically to 0°. Therefore, with the advantages of a collagen ingredient and good hydrophilicity, these blend nanofibers are suitable for applications such as facial masks, wound dressings, and pharmaceutical carrier materials.