What Is PLA Material?
Polylactic acid (PLA shortly) uses corn, cassava and other crops as raw materials, and derived from microbial fermentation and extraction(lactic acid), then refined, dehydrated and oligomerized, pyrolyzed and polymerized. PLA has excellent biodegradability, and can be completely degraded by microorganisms in the soil within one year after being discarded, resulting in CO2 and water, and without pollution to the environment. PLA is an aliphatic polyester, has the basic characteristics of general-purpose polymer materials, has a good mechanical processing performance, low shrinkage, can be used for most synthetic plastic applications, is widely used in the production of packaging materials, disposable cutlery, household appliances Shell, fiber, 3D consumables, etc.
Performance Index Reference
| Item | Unit | Reference Index |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | — | White or yellow cylindrical granules |
| Particle Diameter | mm | 2-4 |
| Density | g/cm3 | 1.25±0.05 |
| Monomer | % | ≤1 |
| Melt Index（190℃ 2.16kg) | g/10min | 1～30 |
| Glass Transition Temperature | ℃ | 58-60 |
| Melting Point | ℃ | ~160 |
| Tensile Strength at Break | MPa | ~50 |
| Tensile Modulus | GPa | 3.5～6.0 |
| Impact Strength | J/m | 10～13 |
Mechanical performance comparison
| Item | Unit | PP | PLA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | g/cm3 | 0.90—0.91 | 1.25 |
| Melt Index | g/10min | 0.2—20 | 1—30 |
| Tensile Strength | MPa | 29.6—35 | ≥50 |
| Elongation at break | % | 200—700 | ≥5 |
| Transmittance | % | 85—88 | 90—95 |
In conclusion, PLA is a kind of eco-friendly material to environment which has big potential usages in the future. Jiexuan has created new Model Straw Making machine using PLA, welcome to contact us for further information and cooperation.
Click to view: PLA Straw Making Machine