Enhancement of the mechanical properties of polylactides by solid-state extrusion. II. Poly(L-lactide), poly(L/D-lactide), and poly(L/DL-lactide.

Polylactides with various degrees of chain regularity-crystalline poly(L-lactide); amorphous poly(L/D-lactide), and amorphous poly(L/DL-lactide)-were processed into high-strength, high-modulus resorable rods using solid-state extrusion through a conical die. The rods with a highly fibrillated structure had flexural strengths at a yield of up to 215 MPa and flexural modulus of up to 13.7 GPa. The initially amorphous poly(L/DL-lactide) developed approximately 25% of crystallinity after solid-state extrusion. Poly(L/D-lactide) remained amorphous independently of the treatment procedure applied. The shear strengths, flexural strengths, and flexural moduli of the solid-state extruded rods increased with increasing draw ratio. For the semicrystalline materials, solid-state extrusion enhanced the crystallinity. The achievable draw ratios during solid-state extrusion, and in consequence the final mechanical properties, were lower for poly(L/D-lactide) and poly(L/DL-lactide) than for poly(L-lactide).