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Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable plastic that can be made from renewable plant resources (such as corn starch) to extract starch raw materials. PLA has a wide range of applications in the production of biodegradable plastic products, and has attracted much attention due to its unique environmental characteristics and biocompatibility. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the manufacturing methods of PLA, including raw material processing, lactic acid preparation, polymerization reaction, post-treatment, and other steps

1、 The primary step in manufacturing PLA is to process raw materials, usually using crops such as corn, sugarcane, and potatoes as the main raw materials. These raw materials are rich in starch and require certain processing to convert them into lactic acid that can be used to produce PLA. The processing mainly includes steps such as starch extraction, saccharification, and fermentation

1. Starch extraction: Extracting starch from raw materials through physical or chemical methods, commonly used methods include grinding, soaking, enzymatic hydrolysis, etc

2. Saccharification: Transforming extracted starch into fermentable sugars, usually using enzymatic hydrolysis to hydrolyze starch into glucose

3. Fermentation: Utilizing microorganisms to ferment glucose into lactic acid. Commonly used microorganisms include lactic acid bacteria, rhizobia, etc

2、 During the fermentation process, microorganisms convert glucose into lactic acid, which can be extracted through certain technical means to prepare for the next polymerization reaction. The preparation methods of lactic acid include chemical synthesis, microbial fermentation, etc. Among them, microbial fermentation is the most commonly used method

3、 After the preparation of lactic acid, a polymerization reaction is required to connect the lactic acid molecules into polylactic acid molecules. Polymerization reactions can be carried out in solution or in a molten state. Common polymerization methods include bulk polymerization, solution polymerization, lotion polymerization, etc. During the polymerization process, it is necessary to control factors such as reaction temperature, pH value, and catalyst to ensure the smooth progress of the polymerization reaction

4、 After the polymerization reaction is completed, the polymer needs to be post-treated to obtain the final PLA product. Post processing includes steps such as washing, drying, and granulation to remove impurities from the polymer and improve the purity and performance of the product

In summary, the manufacturing method of PLA includes steps such as raw material processing, lactic acid preparation, polymerization reaction, and post-treatment, each of which requires fine control to ensure the quality and performance of the final product. In the actual production process, adjustments and optimizations need to be made according to specific circumstances to improve production efficiency and product quality

In addition to its application in the field of chemical raw materials, PLA has also been widely used in many other fields, such as medical devices, packaging materials, textiles, etc. With the increasing emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development, the future market prospects of PLA are very broad.