Development Prospect of PLA

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most successful products of degradable plastics at present. It can be processed by injection, blow molding, molding, thermoforming and extrusion molding. It is a hard material in the glassy state at room temperature and transformed into carbon dioxide, CH4 and water under the decomposition of microorganisms. It is a typical linear fully biodegradable material. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a polymer formed by dehydration and condensation of lactic acid. It has excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, and is the fastest industrialized biodegradable material at present. The initial raw material of PLA is corn, sweet potato and other biomass starch, which has the advantages of wide source, cheap and renewable raw materials; Its self degradation is mainly in the form of hydrolysis. No special hydrolase is required. The PLA waste can be completely degraded into carbon dioxide and water in the soil and water within half a year, and will not cause harm to the human body and the environment. In recent years, as the promotion of degradable plastics continues to increase in China, the capacity of polylactic acid has gradually expanded. By 2020, the output of polylactic acid in China will reach 197000 tons.