J. Lunt
Business Development Director, Asia, Cargill Dow Pacific, USA
Cargill Dow LLC has developed a revolutionary process for the production of polylactic acid (PLA) polymers. PLA is the first family of polymers derived entirely from annually renewable resources that can compete head-to-head with traditional fibers and packaging materials on a cost and performance basis.
The production of the basic lactic acid monomer and the subsequent polymer are based on environmentally sound fermentation, distillation and polymerization technologies. The commercial scale manufacture of PLA actually uses between 20 to 50 percent less fossil fuel than is required to manufacture conventional thermoplastic resins.
Presently, Cargill Dow actually uses the sugar derived from corn as the starting point for PLA production. However we see In the future, PLA will probably be made using other sugar sources such as wheat, sugar beets and even agricultural waste or Biomass as the feedstock, which will further reduce our dependency on fossil fuel.
This technology represents the start of a journey towards more sustainable melt processable polymers, making it possible to meet the world’s basic needs for clothing and packaging while helping limit the collective impact on the earth’s natural resources and the environment.
This paper will discuss the key highlights of the chemistry, manufacture, and present commercial applications for fibers and packaging products for PLA polymers.
