2.3. Preparation of PLGA composites

To prepare a composite containing G and V, PLGA (75% lactide/25% glycolide) (PURASORB^®, Corbion Purac, The Netherlands) with an average molecular weight (M_w) of 102 kDa was used. PLGA was melted at 135°C in a kneader, and then mechanically blended with G and V particles for 10 min. The resulting composite is denoted as G-V/PLGA. For comparison, composites consisting of V and PLGA (denoted by V/PLGA) and consisting of β-TCP and PLGA (denoted by TCP/PLGA) were also prepared using the same procedure as G-V/PLGA. The composition of each sample is shown in table 1.

Compositions of the prepared composites.

Each composite was dissolved in chloroform. The composite slurry was cast in a Teflon^® vessel and dried at room temperature to form a film. Film-like samples were then used for the following evaluation tests.