Supercritical Impregnation of PETG with Leaf Extract: Influence of Operational Parameters on Expansion Degree, Antioxidant and Mechanical Properties.

PETG (poly(ethylene glycol-co-cyclohexane-1,4-dimethanol terephthalate)) is an amorphous copolymer, biocompatible, recyclable, and versatile. Nowadays, it is being actively researched for biomedical applications. However, proposals of PETG as a platform for the loading of bioactive compounds from natural extract are scarce, as well as the effect of the supercritical impregnation on this polymer.

Screening of the Supercritical Impregnation of Leaves Extract into Filaments of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) Intended for Biomedical Applications.

The leaves of as agricultural waste represent a convenient source of antioxidants. In combination with supercritical CO (scCO), assisted impregnation is an interesting strategy for the preparation of biomedical devices with specific bioactivity. For this purpose, 3D-printable filaments of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polylactic acid (PLA) were employed for the supercritical impregnation of ethanolic olive leaves extract (OLE) for biomedical application.