Production, Characterization, and Hydrolytic Degradation of Melt‐Spun Graphene‐Based Composite Yarns Aiming Tissue‐Repair Applications

ABSTRACT Filament yarns based on biodegradable polymers are promising for biomedical fibrous scaffolds but are often limited by low mechanical performance. Reinforcement with nanofillers offers a potential solution. This study investigates graphite‐based nanomaterials—few‐layer graphene (FLG) and graphite nanoplatelets (Micrograf)—as fillers for poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filament yarns. FLG was produced by liquid‐phase exfoliation of nanographite flakes in an aqueous solution of an amphiphilic molecule. Multifilament PLA composite yarns containing 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 wt.% filler were fabricated and characterized in terms of morphology, thermal behavior, mechanical properties, and hydrolytic degradation. This work reports, for the first time, the successful preparation of multifilament PLA/FLG composite yarns. Spinnability depended on filler concentration, with lower loadings improving spinning stability. Mechanical properties were generally comparable to those of neat PLA yarns; however, at 0.05 wt.% filler, both FLG and Micrograf increased the strain at break by approximately 30%. PLA crystallinity increased during hydrolytic degradation due to preferential hydrolysis of amorphous regions. The addition of FLG or Micrograf did not affect cytocompatibility, as no reduction in metabolic activity or cytoskeletal alterations was observed. These composite yarns show potential for textile processing and the fabrication of fibrous scaffolds for tissue repair.