Experiment and modelling of the strain-rate-dependent response during in vitro degradation of PLA fibres

Polylactic acid (PLA) fibres present, in their pristine state, a strain-rate-dependent behaviour. Their mechanical properties evolve during in vitro biodegradation. Tensile tests of PLA fibres are performed at five different strain rates 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1/s and at seven degradation stages, 0, 20, 40, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days in a phosphate buffer solution at constant temperature at 37 degrees C. The mechanical response is modelled using a modified three-element standard solid model proposed for polymers under finite deformations range. Observations on experimental data lead to the conclusion that the viscous parameters eta(1) and eta(2) are strain rate dependent, and they vary from 10,762/3202 (N/m s) at the lowest strain rate of 0.0001/s, and 12.2/9.1 (N/m s) at the highest strain rate of 0.1/s for eta(1) and eta(2), respectively, thus, depicting the shear-thinning phenomena with the increase in strain rate. Whereas stiffness parameters C-1 and C-2 are degradation dependent, they vary from 21.6/13.7 (N/m) for undegraded PLA fibres and 9.7/5.4 (N/m) for 150 days degraded PLA fibres for C-1 and C-2, respectively. Decay of stiffness parameters during biodegradation follows an exponential law. The model will be useful to design and develop new fibrous structures for ligament augmentation devices. It could contribute to develop better devices with improved mechanical performance helping those patients in need to repair the ligament tissue.