CHARACTERIZATION AND LASER-INDUCED DEGRADATION OF MEDICAL-GRADE POLYLACTIDE

The laser-induced degradation on a poly(lactide) (PLA) for medical device applications was studied. PLA films were cut by ultrashort-laser pulses (ULP), a manufacturing process advantageous for medical applications. In fact, heat transmission to the region surrounding the cuts is limited, so that the cuts are precise and the effects on the regions around the cuts are small. However, degradation induced by ULP can occur and compromise the properties of the polymer samples. As a consequence, PLA films, before and after the ULP cuts, were analyzed by NMR, MALDI, ESI MS and SEC. NMR spectra revealed the presence of olefin end groups due to a ?-H abstraction mechanism. Several signal related to different degradation pathways were highlighted by ESI MS.