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Biodegradable Polymer Hydrolysis — Random Chain Scission

Interactive 3D simulator of hydrolytic chain scission in a biodegradable polyester (PLA-like): random ester-bond cleavage cuts the backbone over time, tracked live against number-average molecular weight decay and autocatalytic bulk mass loss.

Materials Science3DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 2D version

This simulator renders a 3D lattice of biodegradable polyester chains (a PLA/PGA-style aliphatic polyester) and cleaves ester bonds one at a time by random hydrolysis, exactly following first-order chain-scission kinetics. Watch the number-average molecular weight (Mn) collapse while the solid mass barely changes at first — the signature "bulk erosion" lag of real bioresorbable implants and sutures — then drops sharply once fragments shrink below a soluble oligomer threshold. An autocatalysis control lets you reproduce the accelerating, self-catalyzed degradation curves measured in thick PLGA samples, where carboxylic-acid byproducts speed up further hydrolysis before they can diffuse away.

⚙ Under the hood

Watch random hydrolytic cleavage of ester bonds cut down a biodegradable polyester's polymer chains, tracking number-average molecular weight (Mn) decay against the delayed, autocatalytic loss of solid mass characteristic of PLA/PGA bulk erosion.

polymer sciencebiodegradationhydrolysismaterials sciencechain scissionPLA

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install