PLA biodegradable material
Time of issue:
2020-09-24 10:45
Categories:
Corn PLA can return to nature through biodegradation, and the initial raw material lactic acid is obtained by starch fermentation. It has similar properties with traditional plastics, but it can decompose quickly in natural environment and reach the balance of natural ecology. It is a harmonious participation of human beings in the natural carbon cycle.
Due to its high crystallinity and orientation, PLA has high strength and high heat resistance, which is comparable with polyester, and has the same ideal transparency as polyester. Meanwhile, it is famous for its high gloss and good barrier property. Compared with other degradable plastics, PLA has unique properties in hardness and transparency.
| Starch plastics | PLA | PHA | PBS | PBAT | |
| Heat resistance | lower | higher | high | high | high |
| Film forming | good | Not god | good | good | good |
| hardness | low | high | low | lower | low |
| Mechanical strength | middle | higher | high | high | high |
| Hydrolysis resistance | middle | low | high | high | high |
| transparency | low | high | low | high | high |
| cost | low | higher | high | higher | lower |
Chart 1 performance comparison of degradable materials
Compared with other plastics, PLA is biodegradable. The final products of PLA degradation are carbon dioxide and water, and these two products can be converted into raw starch of lactic acid through photosynthesis of plants. Therefore, PLA can participate in the natural carbon cycle without causing pollution to the environment. It is an ideal green environmental protection material.
Chart 2 degradable plastic products
Pure PLA is almost non-toxic and slowly decomposes into lactic acid in organisms. Lactic acid, as an inherent product in human body, can be decomposed and absorbed by human body, and can be fully utilized as carbon source. Therefore, polylactic acid is harmless to human body.
After using PLA, it can be treated in three ways: 1. Natural degradation; 2. Composting; 3. Combustion.
Chart 3 production and processing industry chain of plastics
Chart 4 Comparison of production mode, scale and price of degradable plastics
The original material of PLA is starch, which is mainly obtained by deep processing of corn in China. The consumption of corn per ton of PLA is about 1.9 tons. The domestic corn output is about 260 million tons. Even if the PLA output in China can reach 1 million tons in five years, the proportion of corn consumption is less than 1%. Therefore, there is no bottleneck in the raw material of PLA. Since 2019, the Chinese government has taken measures to stimulate domestic demand for corn raw materials, and there is limited space for further price rise of corn in the future, so the cost of raw material end of PLA will not fluctuate greatly.
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