Application of PLA Production and Reasons for High Production Cost

Application of PLA Production

(1) Packaging: Production PLA is mainly used in packaging bags, packaging films, medical films, foam plastics, tableware, and so on.

Product PLA has a smooth surface and high transparency and has been applied to the hard packaging of fruits and vegetables, eggs, cooked food, and baked food.

At present, if the product PLA is used for most agricultural films, it can not only reduce environmental problems but also reduce the loss of plastic films.

(2) Textile: Product PLA is used in the textile field.

(3) Medical treatment: The system of drug control and release, orthopedic fixation, the materials of tissue adsorption, surgical suture, the materials of oral fixation, and ophthalmic materials.

(4) 3D printing: Production PLA is used for PLA wire of 3D printing.

(5) Other durable goods (electronic field, auto parts, etc.): After improvement, product PLA has been widely used in the manufacture of computer parts, portable notebook housings, mobile phone parts, DVD player housings, CD-ROM, home appliance and auto parts, etc.

(6) Product PLA can be compounded with other resins, inorganic materials, and other materials to produce new plastic "alloys" with excellent physical properties. These materials have excellent characteristics in antistatic property, dimensional stability, tearing strength, compressive strength, tensile strength, impact strength, and so on, and are ideal new environmental protection synthetic materials.

Reasons for High PLA Production Cost

The main reason for the high PLA production cost is the process of producing lactic acid with high optical purity. In the process of traditional lactic acid bacteria fermentation, the key to maintaining a high level of fermentation efficiency is the control of concentration, temperature, PH value, and the cultivation of highly active fermentation bacteria, which will also increase PLA production cost. Therefore, in order to improve the fermentation efficiency, some people are currently studying the development of enzymes and strains including biotechnology such as transgene.