Hydrolytic Aging of Degradable Poly(glycolic acid) at Different Temperatures

Abstract

With the wide application of the PGA material, its service life has become a major concern. Present study was aimed to investigate the hydrolysis mechanisms of poly­(glycolic acid) (PGA) via characterization of micromolecular structure and macroproperties. The goal was to establish a foundation for controlling and predicting the service life of the PGA in the future. The results showed that degradation was initiated by cleavage of the ester bonds with the formation of acid products through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The hydrolysis products were identified as glycolic acid, glycolic acid dimer, and its oligomer through chromatography (GPC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS). According to the principle of time–temperature superposition, it was found that the degradation activation energy was 58 kJ/mol after processing the mechanical properties of degraded PGA. This work provides significant guidance for modifying PGA and its future appliances.