Interest in the manufacture of an aliphatic polyester from lactic acid was pioneered by Carothers in 1932. This product was of a low molecular weight,and possessed poor mechanical properties. Further work by DuPont resulted in a higher-molecularweight product that was patented in 1954.However, as with all the completely aliphatic polyesters
investigated at this time, the susceptibility to hydrolytic degradation led to discontinuation of work in this area. In 1972, Ethicon introduced high-strength, biocompatible fibres for medical resorbable sutures. These products, which are
copolymers of lactic and glycollic acids, slowly hydrolyse within the body to the constituent acids. Further applications, also in the medical field,include implants and controlled drug release.