Poly(Lactic Acid) Degradable Plastics, Coatings, and Binders, 1992 Nonwovens Conference Proceedings

Biochemical processes to derive value from the management of high carbohydrate food wastes, such as potato starch, corn starch, and cheese whey permeate, have typically been limited to the production of either ethanol or methane. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) believes that lactic acid presents an attractive option for an alternate fermentation end product, especially in light of lactic acids’ being a viable candidate for conversion to environmentally safe poly(lactic acid) (PLA) degradable plastics, coatings, and binders.

Technology is being developed at ANL to permit a more cost effective route to modified high molecular weight PLA. Preliminary data on the degradation behavior of these modified PLAs shows the retention of the inherent hydrolytic degradability of the PLA modified, however, by introduced compositional variables.

A limited study was done on the hydrolytic stability of soluble oligomers of poly(L-lactic acid). Over a 34 day hold period, water-methanol solutions of PL-LA oligomers in the 2-10 DP range retained some 75% of their original molecular weight.