Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 March 2012
Collagen fibril membranes (CFMs) with a high mechanical property werefabricated with a lateral face evaporation method, in which type Iatelocollagen extracted from tilapia scales was used. The density andthickness of the CFM obtained were 0.51 ± 0.04 mg/cm3 and 50 ± 5μm. The collagen fibrils in the CFM had a similar periodic stripped patternof 67 nm with native collagen fibrils. The CFM was crosslinked in gaseousglutaraldehyde for different duration in order to increase the mechanicalproperty. The crosslinking degrees of the CFMs analyzed by free amino groupsgradually increased to 70.3 % against the exposure duration until 6 hours,and reached a plateau. The denaturation temperatures of the CFMs with thecrosslinking degrees at 20.4 % to 43% were linearly increased from 49°C to75°C. The tensile strength of the CFMs was slightly improved until thecrosslinking degree at 33.3 % and then the tensile strength rapidlyincreased to be 68 MPa. It was suggested that a percolation phenomenon tookplace in the CFMs by crosslinking of collagen fibrils with polymerized GAmolecules.