Polylactic acid was invented by DuPont in 1932. He heated the latex under vacuum to obtain a low molecular weight product. At that time, due to the limitations of the production conditions, it was impossible to increase the molecular weight of the product, thereby suspending the research. Since then, DuPont has focused on developing medical materials. In recent years, the companies Shimadzu and Mitsui Tuatsu in Japan have produced several types of plastics based on polylactic acid. Recently, the fermentation of glucose, which is obtained from corn, is taking place, which reduces the production cost of lactic acid for the PLA polymer.
What is a PLA granule?
Polylactic acid, also known as polyactide, which refers to polyesters. Polylactic acid is a polymer obtained by polymerization of lactic acid as the main raw material. There are sufficient sources of raw materials and they can be regenerated. Corn, cassava and the like are mainly used as raw materials. The production process of polylactic acid does not pollute the environment and is a biodegradable product to achieve circulation in nature, so it is an ideal green polymer material.
Characteristics of the material
Polylactic acid has good thermal stability, processing at a temperature of 170-230 degrees, good resistance to solvents, and can be processed in several ways, such as extrusion, extrusion, and injection molding. In addition to biodegradability, polylactic acid products have excellent biocompatibility, a composite film that is pleasant to the touch and heat resistant. Plastic based on polylactic acid has some bacterial resistance, fire resistance and resistance to ultraviolet light, therefore it is widely used, namely: in the production of packaging, fibers and non-woven materials. Currently, it is used in the manufacture of clothes (underwear, outerwear), in industry (in construction, agriculture, forestry, in the manufacture of paper) and in health care.
The gradual recovery and rise of the global economy depends more and more on plastic, which is used in the manufacture of various products, the service life of plastic products is higher than that of other materials. The time of decomposition of plastic products has become a global problem as a result of environmental pollution. At the same time, the prices of oil and gas, caused by the oil resource crisis, rose sharply, as a result of which the price of raw materials for the production of plastics and plastic products began to rise. Thus, products made of biodegradable plastics are increasingly valued in connection with less impact on the environment. PLA products have good impact resistance, low shrinkage, excellent rigidity, PLA products have similar parameters to traditional plastic products, but it can biodegrade faster in the environment after use. Therefore, this material can maintain the balance in nature.
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