Accelerated degradation testing impacts the degradation processes in 3D printed amorphous PLLA.

ABSTRACT: Additive manufacturing and electrospinning are widely used to create degradable biomedical components. This work presents important new data showing that the temperature used in accelerated tests has a significant impact on the degradation process in amorphous 3D printed poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) fibres. Samples (c. 100 μ m diameter) were degraded in a fluid environment at 37° C, 50° C and 80 ° C over a period of 6 months. Our findings suggest that across all three fluid temperatures, the fibres underwent bulk homogeneous degradation. A three-stage degradation process was identified by measuring changes in fluid pH, PLLA fibre mass, molecular weight and polydispersity index. At 37 ° C, the fibres remained amorphous but, at elevated temperatures, the PLLA crystallised. A short-term hydratio

SUBMITTER: Malone LP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11257899 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature