S w e e t p e a . d e s i g n. Domain Registration, Website Design and Business Web Hosting at Register.com. Polylactic acid. Poly(lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA) is a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch (in the United States), tapioca roots, chips or starch (mostly in Asia), or sugarcane (in the rest of the world). In 2010, PLA had the second highest consumption volume of any bioplastic of the world.[3] The name "poly(lactic acid)" does not comply with IUPAC standard nomenclature, and is potentially ambiguous or confusing, because PLA is not a polyacid (polyelectrolyte), but rather a polyester.[4] Production[edit] There are several industrial routes to usable (i.e. high molecular weight) PLA. Another route to PLA is the direct condensation of lactic acid monomers.
Polymerization of a racemic mixture of L- and D-lactides usually leads to the synthesis of poly-DL-lactide (PDLLA), which is amorphous. Manufacturers[edit] As of June 2010, NatureWorks was the primary producer of PLA (bioplastic) in the United States. Chemical and physical properties[edit] Corn Plastic to the Rescue. China Pla, China Pla Manufacturers, China Pla Suppliers and Companies on Alibaba.