Polylactic Acid Technology

Polylactic acid is proving to be a viable alternative to petrochemical‐based plastics for many applications. It is produced from renewable resources and is biodegradable, decomposing to give H2O, CO2, and humus, the black material in soil. In addition, it has unique physical properties that make it useful in diverse applications including paper coating, fibers, films, and packaging (see Figure). Polylactic acid (see Figure) is proving to be a viable alternative to petrochemical‐based plastics for many applications, not only because of its biodegradability (it decomposes to give H2O, CO2, and humus, the black material in soil) and its production from renewable resources, but also because of the unique physical properties that make it useful in diverse applications, including paper coating, fibers, films, and packaging.