Optimization of electrophoresis conditions for HAp/collagen composite fiber bundles

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to optimize the current conditions to maximize the tensile strength of the HAp/collagen composite fiber bundles. The HAp/collagen composite fibers prepared by the biomimetic deposition method were bundled by the electrophoresis. Their tensile strength was evaluated by the micro-tensile tests. As a result, the tensile strength of the HAp/collagen composite fiber bundles increased and then decreased with the increase of the current value. It can be considered that the higher current would accelerate both the bundling and damage of the HAp/collagen composite fibers. This tendency suggests that the optimized magnitude of the current should be determined under a trade-off relation between the bundling/orientation and the damage. Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be suggested that the optimal current value for preparing the HAp/collagen composite fiber bundles is about 4[mA].