2021-08-16
What is PLA Product?
What is PLA?
PLA, also known as polylactic acid, or polyactide is obtained from renewable and natural raw materials such as corn. The starch (glucose) is extracted from the plants and converted into dextrose by the addition of enzymes. This is fermented by microorganisms into lactic acid, which in turn is converted into polylactide. Polymerisation produces long-linked molecular chains whose properties resemble those of petroleum-based polymers.
Biosourced And Biodegradable
PLA is a bioplastic that is both biosourced and biodegradable, whereas most bioplastics are either biosourced OR biodegradable, but rarely both at once!
PLA is classified as a 100% biosourced plastic: it’s made of renewable resources such as corn or sugar cane. Lactic acid, obtained by fermenting sugar or starch, is then transformed into a monomer called lactide. This lactide is then polymerised to produce PLA.
PLA is also biodegradable since it can be composted. However, its compostability had until recently been limited since it required constant high temperatures, meaning it could only be composted in industrial plants.
The Future Of PLA Products
PLA has a wide range of applications and has been successfully applied in the fields of plastic packaging, biomedicine and textile fibers. The harmless properties of PLA make it widely used in the field of packaging, mainly for food packaging, product packaging and agricultural mulch.
PLA has a smooth surface, good transparency, and excellent barrier properties. It can completely replace PS (polystyrene) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in many places, thereby reducing plastic pollution. PLA degradable fiber combines degradability, moisture permeability, and flame retardancy, as well as molding, application and degradability, and is widely used in the field of textile fibers. At the same time, PLA has excellent biocompatibility and good physical properties. It generates carbon dioxide and water after degradation, which is harmless to the human body and can be degraded naturally.
