The effects of different steam-sterilization programs on material properties of poly(L-lactide).
As-polymerized poly(L-lactide) test rods were sterilized by seven different specially designed computer-operated autoclaving programs.  As a control, common hospital sterilization was performed.  In all cases, the molecular weight decreased after sterilization.  A short time high-temperature sterilization led to less molecular weight decrease than a low sterilization temperature cycle with a longer sterilization time. Regular hospital sterilization significantly reduced the elongation at break and also resulted in a decrease of 35% in tensile strength.  The program causing minimal damage to the material properties was studied in detail.  This program, with a sterilization period of 60 s and 129 degrees C, was effective for PLLA sterilization and also looks very promising for sterilization of other thermo- and moisture-labile polymers.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Rozema
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Bos
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Boering
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van Asten
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Nijenhuis
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Pennings
D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011091:Polyesters; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D013718:Tensile Strength