Properties of lactic acid based polymers and their correlation with composition

This review focuses on the properties of lactic acid based polymers and the correlation to the structure of the polymers. Lactic acid based polymers prepared by polycondensation (PC), ring-opening polymerization (ROP), and other methods (chain extension, grafting) are discussed as well as modifications where structural changes have occurred due to post-polymerization reactions (peroxide melt-modification, radiation processing). The different types of polymers include copolymers prepared by ROP from L,L-lactide and D,D-lactide, glycolide (GA), epsilon-caprolactone (CL), trimethylene carbonate (TMC), 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO), and other cyclic analogues. The thermophysical properties, the solubility, the miscibility, and the mechanical properties have been reviewed. In addition the hydrolytic stability, the thermal stability, the radiation degradation, and the biodegradation of the polymers have been covered. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.