Key Advances in Solution Blow Spinning of Polylactic-Acid-Based Materials: A Prospective Study on Uses and Future Applications.

Abstract

Solution blow spinning (SBS) is a versatile and cost-effective technique for producing nanofibrous materials. It is based on the principles of other spinning methods as electrospinning (ES), which creates very thin and fine fibers with controlled morphologies. Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer derived from renewable resources, is widely used in biomedical fields, environmental protection, and packaging. This review provides a theoretical background for PLA, focusing on its properties that are associated with structural characteristics, such as crystallinity and thermal behavior. It also discusses various methods for producing fibrous materials, with particular emphasis on ES and SBS and on describing in more detail the main properties of the SBS method, along with its processing conditions and potential applications. Additionally, this review examines the properties of nanofibrous materials, particularly PLA-based nanofibers, and the new applications for which it is thought that they may be more useful, such as drug delivery systems, wound healing, tissue engineering, and food packaging. Ultimately, this review highlights the potential of the SBS method and PLA-based nanofibers in various new applications and suggests future research directions to address existing challenges and further enhance the SBS method and the quality of fibrous materials.