Relationship Between Dip-Coating Fabrication Parameters and the Elastic Properties of Rubber Latex Prosthesis

Abstract

AbstractIn the present work we are mainly interested in the use of the natural latex extract from the Hevea brasiliensis for medical applications. This presentation focuses on the influence of the fabrication parameters on the final elastic properties of the tubes obtained by dip-coating. The elastic properties of the prosthesis were investigated using tension-deformation experiments. The influence of important fabrication parameters were studied, such as: dip-coating velocity, final prosthesis thickness (which was varied as a function of the number of baths), and thermal treatment. Single and cycled tension-deformation experiments were performed with closed and opened samples considering longitudinal and axial directions. A model is proposed for the anisotropy of the elastic behavior, which involves the sulfur bonds between polymeric chains.