Biodegradability of poly (L-lactic acid) functionally graded materials with hardness gradient

Abstract

The aim of this study is to develop a functionally graded material (FGM) of biodegradable poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) with a hardness gradient. For this purpose, the PLLA was extruded at elevated temperatures to introduce molecular orientation. Two types of extrusion, direct extrusion and equal channel angular (ECA) extrusion, were carried out. Heat treatment without extrusion was also carried out at 50°C, 60°C and 70°C. For the mechanical property characterization, the hardness distributions were investigated using a Vickers microhardness tester. Biodegradability of PLLA FGM was measured by evaluating the mass decreasing ratio after incubation in a physiological saline solution at 37°C. It was found that the PLLA FGMs with symmetric and asymmetric hardness gradients could be fabricated by direct extrusion and ECA extrusion at elevated temperature, respectively. Although in the initial state the mass of PLLA gradually increased with the softening of the FGM, it started to decrease after two weeks.