Monitoring degradation by controlled cooling of absorbing polymers

An in vitro study was conducted in polylactides films using the solid state extrusion method, to examine their degradation pattern. The molecular structure of the films was investigated before degradation and after nine months degradation, by utilizing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal transition temperatures decreased as the degradation progressed, and the relative amount of crystallinity in the sample was substantially higher after the 9 months degradation time. The glass transition temperature profile was particularly pronounced in the intact samples due to the orientation induced stresses in the system. The degraded specimens showed a more compact recrystallization curve under controlled cooling.