Additive Manufacturing Enabled by Electrospinning for Tougher Bio-Inspired Materials

Figure 5

Stress-strain curves and toughness measurements. (a) Bulk PCL in comparison with unidirectionally oriented PCL fibre sample and helicoidal PCL fibre sample without surface treatment. (b) Bulk PCL in comparison with surface-treated unidirectionally oriented PCL fibre sample and surface-treated helicoidal PCL fibre sample. The experimental error bars are provided here to indicate variations within each group of the samples at max stress values and subsequently at strain values of 200%, 400%, and 600%. The variations of the max stress values in each of the groups are not more than ±6%. The toughness, as defined by the area under the stress-strain curve, for each of the groups of samples has been provided in the legend (the toughness is presented here with the unit of MPa × unitless strain).

(a)

(b)