Page 19 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V1

Degradation Analysis of 3D Printed PLA in Simulated Body

mats, indicating that even fine-scale geometry can influence
degradation and biological interactions (Gangolphe et al., 2021).
Similarly, it has been revealed that internal structural voids and
printing parameters affect the degradation kinetics by regulating
the diffusion of acidic byproducts, where larger voids suppress
hydrolytic degradation in a logarithmic manner (Chen et al.,
2021).

Different lattice configurations, such as basic cube (BC), body-
centred structure (BCS) and body-centred cube (BCC), also
exhibit distinct mechanical and water absorption profiles during
degradation, with BCC geometries at 50–62.5% porosity,
demonstrating optimal performance over a 120-day period
Senaysoy, Ilhan & Lekesiz, 2024). Furthermore, in another study
on 3D-printed PLA bone scaffolds, hexagonal geometries were
observed to degrade faster than gyroid or lattice structures,
attributed to their higher surface-area-to-volume ratios facilitating
acid penetration (Khaki, Sharifi, Solati-Hashjin & Abolfathi,
2025). Specifically, the hexagonal scaffolds exhibited a 1.5%
increase in wet weight and retained higher elastic modulus values
(105 MPa at Day 60) compared to other designs (Raj et al., 2021).

Although recent studies have confirmed that scaffold geometry
significantly influences the degradation behaviour of PLA-based
structures, there remains a critical need for more systematic
investigations, focusing specifically on FDM-printed PLA
scaffolds. Given that FDM is one of the most practical and widely
used techniques for producing biodegradable devices with
complex geometries, understanding how basic geometric
variations affect their degradation behaviour under physiological
conditions is essential. By addressing this gap, the present study
aims to explore the relationship between simple geometric design
and degradation characteristics in FDM-fabricated PLA samples,
providing insights for future scaffold optimisation.

Therefore, in this study, we investigate the degradation
behaviour of 3D-printed PLA samples with different geometries
(Cube, Dogbone and Bar) immersed in simulated body fluid
(SBF) over a 28-day period. By analysing mass loss and pH

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