A setup to characterize the tensile mechanical properties of poly(L-lactic acid) materials applied in bioresorbable polymer stents

Abstract

A method for testing mechanical properties of miniature poly(L-lactic acid)(PLLA) specimens is instrumented and set up in this research. This method is specially designed to measure mechanical properties, including elasticity modulus, yield strength and breaking elongation, of miniature PLLA specimens in three different shapes at various tensile speeds and temperatures. Moreover, the measurement results are significantly dependent on the tensile speeds and temperatures. This phenomenon further verifies the obvious existence of the viscoelasticity of PLLA. Finally, it can be concluded that, with this method, mechanical properties of PLLA can be better investigated and understood, especially for PLLA used for biodegradable polymer stents.