Polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are two kinds of biocompatible and biodegradable
polymers that can be used in biomedical applications. PLA has rigid mechanical properties while TPU possesses
flexible mechanical properties. Blended TPU/PLA tissue engineering scaffolds at different ratios for tunable properties
were fabricated via twin screw extrusion and microcellular injection molding techniques for the first time.
Multiple test methods were used to characterize these materials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
confirmed the existence of the two components in the blends; differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic
mechanical analysis (DMA) confirmed the immiscibility between the TPU and PLA. Scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) images verified that, at the composition ratios studied, PLA was dispersed as spheres or islands
inside the TPU matrix and that this phase morphology further influenced the scaffold's microstructure and surface
roughness. The blends exhibited a large range of mechanical properties that covered several human tissue
requirements. 3T3 fibroblast cell culture showed that the scaffolds supported cell proliferation and migration
properly. Most importantly, this study demonstrated the feasibility of mass producing biocompatible PLA/TPU
scaffolds with tunable microstructures, surface roughnesses, and mechanical properties that have the potential
to be used as artificial scaffolds in multiple tissue engineering applications.