Method For Determination Of In-Vitro Fibre Dissolution Rate By Direct Optical Measurement Of Diameter Decrease

A new method for measureing in-vitro fibre dissolution rate in physiological saline solutions is based on direct optical measurement of fibre diameter decrease. Dissolution times measured by this new method for a variety of vitreous silicate fibres with a wide range of dissolution rates are in good agreement with results from SEM and from traditional mass loss and solution analysis techniques. The new method is conceptually and experimentally simple, and it can be applied directly to fibres pulled from the original fibre sample with no pretreatment.