Abstract:

The chemical purity of biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) fibres finished with various finishing agents was examined. Chemical purity parameters of aqueous extracts of the fibres were assessed, including turbidity, the content of sulphate and chloride ions, the content of water-dissolvable substances, the content of foaming agents, the content of heavy metal ions and pH. The content of organic solvent-leachable substances was also estimated according to the PN-EN ISO 10993-12:2009 standard. Tests under equal conditions were performed for PLA fibres spun without any spinfinish, PLA fibres with the spinfinish removed by extraction with organic solvents, and the raw material, PLA 6201D granulate. The certified fibre-grade polymer PLLA produced by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG (Germany) under the trade name Resomer L 207S served as the reference material and was analysed in the same way. In terms of chemical purity, PLA fibres finished with Estesol PF-790, pharmaceutical glycerol (glycerine), and PLA fibres after removal of the spinfinish were found to be suitable to use in hygiene and medical devices.