Why is PLA degradable more and more popular?
Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is a new type of biodegradable material, which is made from starch raw materials proposed by renewable plant resources (such as corn). Glucose is obtained from starch raw material through saccharification, and then glucose and certain bacteria are fermented to produce high-purity lactic acid, and then polylactic acid with certain molecular weight is synthesized by chemical synthesis. It has good biodegradability. After use, it can be completely degraded by microorganisms in nature, and eventually generate carbon dioxide and water, which will not pollute the environment. This is very beneficial to environmental protection and is recognized as environmentally friendly material.
Advantages of PLA 1. The raw materials for producing polylactic acid are renewable resources such as corn, without the use of precious natural resources such as oil and wood, which will play a very protective role in the increasingly depleted oil resources.
2. The superior physical properties of polylactic acid are suitable for various processing methods such as blow molding and thermoplastic, which are convenient for processing and widely used. It can be used to process all kinds of plastic products from industry to civil use, packaged food, fast food lunch boxes, non-woven fabrics, industrial and civil fabrics. Then it can be processed into agricultural fabrics, health care fabrics, rags, sanitary products, outdoor anti-ultraviolet fabrics, tent fabrics, floor mats and so on. The market prospect is very promising.
3. Biocompatibility Poly (lactic acid) also has excellent biocompatibility. Its degradation product, L-lactic acid, can participate in human metabolism. It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and can be used as medical surgical sutures, injection capsules, microspheres and implants.
4. Good permeability Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) film has good permeability, oxygen permeability and carbon dioxide permeability. It also has the characteristics of odor isolation. Virus and mold are easy to attach to the surface of biodegradable plastic, so there are doubts about safety and health. However, polylactic acid is the only biodegradable plastic with excellent antibacterial and anti-mold properties.
5. Biodegradable poly (lactic acid) (PLA) can be completely degraded by microorganisms in nature after use, and eventually generate carbon dioxide and water, which will not pollute the environment, which is very beneficial to environmental protection and is recognized as environmentally friendly material.
PLA is one of the most concerned biodegradable materials at home and abroad. Food packaging, disposable tableware and medical materials are its three hot applications. PLA takes lactic acid from natural sources as its main raw material, has good biodegradability and biocompatibility, and its life cycle load on the environment is significantly lower than that of petroleum-based materials. It is considered as the most promising green packaging material.
As a new type of pure bio-based material, PLA has great market application prospects. Its good physical properties and environmental protection of the material itself will inevitably make PLA more widely used in the future
