PLA in China

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Polylactic acid (PLA) is a new type of bio-based degradable plastics. Its raw materials are derived from renewable plant resources such as corn and wheat. The discarded polylactic acid can be completely decomposed into carbon dioxide and water, it has excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility, and has broad application prospects in biomedical polymers, packaging and agricultural mulching films.

There are two main methods for the synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA), namely direct polymerization and lactide ring-opening polymerization. At present, American Natureworks is the world's largest polylactic acid production company. The company adopts a two-step production process and has an annual production capacity of 220,000 tons of L-lactic acid. Domestic enterprises optimize the production technology of PLA by cooperating with universities or scientific research institutions. For example, Jindan Technology cooperates with Nanjing University to study the production of the core intermediate lactide. Zhejiang Hisun PLA production technology is jointly developed with Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The demand for polylactic acid in China in 2017 was 109,000 tons, and the demand in 2020 was 219,900 tons, with a compound growth rate of 26.36% from 2017 to 2020. With the latest plastic policies and the promotion of degradable plastics, the demand for PLA is expected to continue to increase.