Continuous reactive extrusion polymerisation of L-lactide - An engineeringview

Polylactides (ELLA), biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, produced from rene wable resources might substitute petrochemically based polymers in abroad r ange of applications in the near future, if we manage to produce them at lo wer cost and higher efficiency than nowadays. Possible applications include food packaging for meat and soft drinks, films for agro-industry and non-w ovens in hygienic products. The authors developed, based on a new catalytic system. a reactive extrusion polymerisation process, which can be used to produce PLA continuously in larger quantities and at lower costs than befor e. This extrusion polymerisation process has been developed and tested with laboratory scale machines and has to be transferred to industrial processi ng equipment. This paper aims to address the problems attached with this tr ansfer and to discuss the chances to finally achieve low cost PLA at indust rial scale.