Impact of cotton fiber percentage and length on mechanical behavior of cotton/alginate composite hydrogel fiber

Hydrogels, progressively important in biomedical applications, consist of a three-dimensional hydrophilic network, while polymer-based hydrogels offer a spectrum of advantages including biocompatibility, user-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. Typically, pure hydrogels display fragility and brittleness. To address this, reinforcements are incorporated into the hydrogel matrix to improve its mechanical characteristics. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of synthesis factors on producing cotton-reinforced alginate hydrogel (Alg/CH) fibers using mechanical characteristics and water absorbency tests. Composite fibers of alginate, strengthened with cotton fibers, were created through the wet spinning method. SEM images were utilized to determine the morphology of hydrogel fibers. FTIR and XRD spectra confirmed cotton fibers in Alg/CH fibers. The highest attained strength for Alg/CH fibers was 6.99 cN/Tex (1.47 mm elongation) and achieved using a 1.5% alginate concentration, 5% cotton fiber weight, and 3-mm fiber length. The peak water absorbency, reaching 298%, was attained when utilizing a 1.5% alginate concentration, 15% cotton fiber weight percentage, and a 5-mm fiber length. The observed characteristics are appropriate in terms of the mechanical property of hydrogel fiber and might direct future optimizations of the synthesis process to quickly achieve the desired mechanical properties. The findings indicated that these alginate hydrogel fibers reinforced with cotton exhibit enhanced mechanical attributes and liquid absorption characteristics suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications.