At present, the main consumption area of polylactic acid is packaging materials, which account for more than 65% of the total consumption; followed by applications such as catering utensils, fiber/non-woven fabrics, and 3D printing materials. Europe and North America are the largest markets for polylactic acid. As the demand for polylactic acid in China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Thailand continues to grow, the Asia-Pacific region will become one of the fastest growing markets in the world.
From the perspective of application mode, due to the good mechanical and physical properties of polylactic acid, it is suitable for extrusion molding, injection molding, extrusion blow molding, spinning, foaming and other major plastic processing processes, and can be made into films and sheets. , Fiber, wire, powder and other forms. Therefore, with the passage of time, the global application scenarios of polylactic acid continue to expand, and it has been widely used in food contact grade packaging and tableware, film bag packaging products, shale gas mining, fibers, fabrics, 3D printing materials and other products And the field, is further tapping its application potential in the fields of medicine, auto parts, agriculture, forestry and environmental protection.
In the automotive field, currently, PLA is mainly used to add some other polymer materials to make composites to improve the heat resistance, flexibility, and impact resistance of polylactic acid, thereby expanding its application range in the automotive market. .
Current status of foreign applications
The application of polylactic acid in automobiles started early in foreign countries, and the technology is quite mature, and the application of modified polylactic acid is relatively leading. Some foreign automobile brands that we are familiar with all use modified polylactic acid.
Mazda Motor Corporation cooperated with Teijin Corporation and Teijin Fiber Corporation to develop the world's first bio-fabric made of 100% polylactic acid, which is applied to the quality and durability requirements of automotive interior car seat covers, and is used in automotive interiors. middle;
Japan's Mitsubishi Nylon Company has produced and sold a kind of PLA as the core material for car mats. This product was used in Toyota Motor's third-generation hybrid vehicle in 2009.
The environmentally friendly polylactic acid fiber material produced by Japan’s Toray Industry Co., Ltd. is used as body and interior floor coverings on Toyota Motor Corporation’s hybrid car HS 250h. This material can also be used for interior ceilings and door decorations. Decoration materials.
Japanese Toyota's Raum model uses kenaf fiber/PLA composite materials to make spare tire covers, and polypropylene (PP)/PLA modified materials to make car door panels and side trims.
The German company Rochling and Corbion have jointly developed a composite material of PLA and glass fiber or wood fiber, which is used in automotive interior parts and functional components.
RTP Company in the United States has developed glass fiber composite products, which are used in automobile windshield, sunshade, auxiliary bumper, side guards and other parts. European Union windshield, sunshade, auxiliary bumper, side guards and other parts.
The EU ECOplast project has developed a bio-based plastic prepared with PLA and nanoclay as raw materials, specifically for the production of auto parts.
Application status in China
Chinese research on the application of PLA in the automotive industry is relatively late, but with the improvement of domestic environmental protection awareness, Chinese auto companies and researchers have begun to increase the research, development and application of modified PLA for vehicles, and the application of PLA in automobiles has been The rapid development and promotion. At present, China's domestic PLA is mainly used in automotive interior parts and parts.
Greenway Biomaterials Technology Co., Ltd. has introduced high-strength and high-toughness PLA composite materials, which are used in automobile air intake grilles, triangular window frames and other parts.
Kumho Sunny has successfully developed polycarbonate PC/PLA, which has good mechanical properties and can be degraded and recycled, and is used in automotive interior parts.
China will increase research on the modification of PLA, and the future focus is on the development of polylactic acid compounds with long service life and performance that meets the requirements of use. With the development and progress of modification technology, the application of domestic PLA in the automotive field will be more extensive.
