| HS Code | 322260 |
| Chemical Composition | Polylactic acid (PLA) |
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ |
| Melt Flow Rate | 25 g/10 min (210°C, 2.16 kg) |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 55-60°C |
| Melting Temperature | 165-180°C |
| Tensile Strength | 60 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 3.5 GPa |
| Elongation At Break | 3.5% |
| Flexural Modulus | 3.8 GPa |
| Notched Izod Impact | 2.5 kJ/m² |
| Biobased Content | 100% |
| Compostability | EN 13432, ASTM D6400 |
| Processing Temperature | 200-230°C |
| Moisture Content | <0.05% |
| Bulk Density | 0.75 g/cm³ |
| Form | Pellets |
| Color | Natural |
As an accredited Ingeo™ Biopolymer 6204D Fiber-Grade PLA Resin factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Ingeo™ Biopolymer 6204D Fiber-Grade PLA Resin is typically supplied in 25 kg moisture-barrier bags, palletized for industrial shipping and storage. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Container Loading (20′ FCL) for Ingeo™ Biopolymer 6204D Fiber-Grade PLA Resin: palletized, dry-container shipment, secured, weight-compliant, standard handling. |
| Shipping | Ingeo™ Biopolymer 6204D Fiber-Grade PLA Resin ships as non-hazardous, non-DG solid pellets. It is typically packaged in 25 kg moisture-barrier bags or 500–1000 kg bulk bags, palletized and shrink-wrapped. Store dry at ambient temperature, away from heat and moisture. Not regulated by DOT, IMDG, or IATA. |
| Storage | Store Ingeo™ Biopolymer 6204D Fiber-Grade PLA Resin in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Keep containers tightly closed to prevent moisture absorption, as PLA is hygroscopic and can hydrolyze. Avoid strong acids, bases, and oxidizers. Maintain recommended temperature and humidity; follow first-in, first-out and supplier SDS guidance. |
| Shelf Life | Recommended shelf life is 12 months from date of manufacture when stored unopened in a dry environment below 50°C. |
Ingeo 6204D pellets are hygroscopic enough that exposure to ambient air at relative humidity above 60% shifts equilibrium moisture content beyond the melt-spinning tolerance within 2–4 h in bulk storage hoppers unless dried air purge is active. Pre-drying in a desiccant-wheel dryer at 80 °C for 4 h with a supply dew point of −40 °C reduces residual moisture to ≤0.025 wt%; above this threshold, PLA undergoes random chain scission during melt processing, causing measurable loss of intrinsic viscosity and a reduction in fiber tenacity. Dryer airflow should be no less than 0.5 m³/h per kg/h of resin throughput to maintain dew point, and hopper capacity should allow 4 h residence at maximum line rate. The melt flow index of 6204D is specified as 15–30 g/10 min at 210 °C under a 2.16 kg load according to ISO 1133-1:2022, which places the resin in a range suitable for staple fiber and spunbond lines but not for ultra-high-shear meltblown dies. Extrusion through a twin-screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 28:1 to 40:1 and a compression ratio of 2.5:1 to 3.0:1 requires a flat temperature profile from feed throat to metering zone of 180 °C to 230 °C; the melt temperature must not exceed 240 °C because PLA degrades rapidly via both hydrolysis and depolymerization, producing lactic acid, lactide, and oligomeric species that lower melt strength and generate volatile defects. Residence time at melt temperature should be held below 20 min to limit molecular weight loss; a screw with low-shear mixing elements and zero back-pressure areas is preferred because the polymer melt has low elongational viscosity and is sensitive to localized temperature spikes. If moisture is not controlled, batch-to-batch variance on a production line appears as periodic thread breakage, die-face drool, and fiber tenacity drift of 0.2–0.5 cN/dtex between lots, which is measurable only after conditioning according to ISO 139. Moisture verification prior to extrusion is performed by Karl Fischer titration or hot-melt moisture analysis under ISO 15512.
On a staple fiber line with a rectangular spinneret pack containing 1,000–2,000 holes per die, melt pressure at 230 °C typically falls between 70 bar and 120 bar depending on throughput and die hole dimensions. The die holes are commonly selected at 0.25–0.35 mm diameter with an L/D ratio of 2:1 to 4:1; capillary shear rates above 104 s−1 produce sharkskin melt fracture in PLA because the polymer has low melt strength and a narrow processing window. Quench air at 0.4–0.8 m/s and 18–22 °C ensures that the filament skin solidifies before the spinline reaches 800 mm below the spinneret; if quench air temperature rises above 25 °C, filament fusion and denier variability increase. Spin finish is applied at 0.15–0.25 wt% by roller or metering pump before the take-up godet; finish selection must avoid solvent-borne formulations containing ketones or acetates because these can swell PLA filament surfaces and create tacky deposits on draw rolls. Drawing in two stages at total draw ratio 2.5:1 to 4.0:1 with first roll at 70–80 °C and second roll at 100–120 °C yields a crystalline oriented fiber with tenacity of 3.0–4.5 cN/dtex and elongation at break of 20–35% when measured according to ASTM D3822/D3822M or ISO 5079. Crimping at 120–140 °C with a stuffer-box crimper and cutting to 38 mm or 51 mm staple length produces a fiber suitable for needlepunch, airlaid, or thermal bonding lines; cut length verification uses ISO 1973. A breaker plate with screen pack filtration of 60/80/60 mesh reduces pressure pulses, but frequent screen changes may be necessary because PLA degradation gels can accumulate at the pack face when residence time is not controlled.
Spunbond web formation from 6204D on a single-beam line requires a different thermal profile than staple spinning because filament drawing is pneumatic rather than mechanical. In a slot-die attenuation unit with cabin pressure of 2,000–4,000 Pa and take-up speed of 3,000–5,000 m/min, the resulting filament diameter drops to 1.0–2.0 dpf, and web uniformity is controlled by laydown pattern, belt speed, and suction pressure. Calender bonding at 130–150 °C with an engraved bond area of 16–20% and nip pressure of 40–80 N/mm produces a nonwoven with machine-direction tensile strength typically between 20 N/5 cm and 50 N/5 cm at 30 g/m² basis weight, measured according to ISO 9073-3; cross-direction strength is lower by 20–35% due to fiber orientation. For hygiene topsheet and medical wrap applications, the finished fabric must pass skin-contact migration testing under EU Regulation 10/2011 or FDA 21 CFR 177.1520, but resin compliance alone does not cover the final article because spin finish, calender release agents, and post-treatment surfactants partition into the melt or web surface. The low glass transition temperature of PLA, approximately 55–60 °C, restricts storage and transport of spunbond rolls to temperatures below 45 °C; otherwise blocking and flex-cracking develop across the wound layers. The same Tg imposes a ceiling on high-temperature downstream printing or drying after nonwoven conversion: line temperatures above 90 °C cause dimensional relaxation and width loss exceeding 3% unless the web is heat-set under tension.
Representative process parameters for three distinct downstream line configurations are compared in the following table; values are taken from production-scale equipment settings rather than laboratory simulation.
| Line configuration | Residual moisture limit | Melt temperature | Quench air or attenuation pressure | Take-up speed | Primary standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staple fiber | ≤0.025 wt% | 210–230 °C | 0.4–0.8 m/s | 800–1,500 m/min | ISO 5079 |
| Spunbond nonwoven | ≤0.025 wt% | 215–235 °C | 2,000–4,000 Pa | 3,000–5,000 m/min | ISO 9073-3 |
| Bicomponent core | ≤0.020 wt% | 215–230 °C | 0.5–1.0 m/s | 1,000–2,000 m/min | ASTM D3822 |
In a sheath-core spin pack fed by two extruders, the sheath material must be selected with a melt flow index close enough to 6204D to keep the viscosity ratio at the die between 0.7 and 1.3; a larger mismatch produces off-center core displacement and irregular crimp after drawing. The core side runs at 215–230 °C while the sheath side is typically maintained at 190–210 °C for a lower-melting PLA or copolyester sheath, and the core/sheath volume ratio is held between 50/50 and 70/30. The spinneret channels use a capillary exit diameter of 0.30–0.40 mm with a land length of 1.0–1.2 mm to minimize residence time and shear heating. Spinline quenching at 0.5–1.0 m/s and 17–20 °C is followed by a two-stage drawing unit with draw ratio 2.8:1 to 3.6:1; the core phase develops crystallinity during hot drawing while the sheath remains low-crystallinity for subsequent thermal bonding. Crimping at 90–120 °C and cutting to 51 mm or 64 mm produces a binder fiber that can be blended with wood pulp, PET stiffening fiber, or other PLA staple. Through-air bonding at 140–150 °C for 45–90 s activates the sheath without melting the 6204D core, preserving fiber structure and producing a thermally bonded nonwoven with bonding strength measurable as peel resistance according to ASTM D1876 or fabric tensile after bonding according to ISO 9073-3. If the sheath is also PLA-based with higher D-lactide content, the bonding window narrows to 5–8 °C, which is a processing conflict because through-air tunnel temperature variation must be maintained within ±2 °C across the web width; otherwise edge bonding failure or core collapse occurs. Published data for specific sheath-core combinations with 6204D on production-scale through-air lines is limited, so the bonding window is validated by differential scanning calorimetry at 10 °C/min according to ISO 11357-1 and by peel-strength measurements on trial nonwoven.
False-twist draw-texturing of PLA filament differs from polyester because the glass transition temperature of 55–60 °C and the crystalline melting peak of 160–175 °C compress the usable heater window. Draw-texturing heater temperatures above 110 °C cause filament sticking on polyurethane discs, while temperatures below 90 °C produce insufficient crimp development and a high broken filament rate. A typical textured yarn route runs undrawn 6204D filament at 500–800 m/min through a primary heater at 100–110 °C, a false-twist disc stack with 1.6–1.8 D/Y ratio and 0.3–0.5 twist level, then a secondary heater at 80–100 °C for reduced yarn bulk. The resultant 150 dtex / 48 filament textured yarn has tenacity of 25–35 cN/tex and elongation at break of 25–35% measured according to ISO 2062; knitted or woven fabric is subsequently heat-set at 100–110 °C for 30–60 s to stabilize dimensions. Dyeing of PLA filament must avoid carriers and high-temperature jets because PLA hydrolyzes in aqueous baths above 120 °C; disperse dye uptake is sufficient only in the 95–110 °C range, which limits deep shades relative to PET. The operational boundary for industrial yarn is a maximum continuous service temperature of 80 °C in dry air, above which shrinkage exceeds 5% unless the yarn is fully drawn and heat-set.
Needlepunch processing of 6204D staple at 200–800 g/m² is a well-established practice that requires only standard carding and needle-loom settings; fabric tensile properties are reported under ISO 9073-3 and puncture resistance under ASTM D6241. The higher modulus of PLA staple relative to polypropylene improves carding web cohesion at staple lengths of 51–64 mm, but card clothing must be maintained with sharp wires because PLA fiber can produce more dust when crimp is low. For geotextile applications, long-term durability in moist soil is controlled by hydrolysis, and published data for multi-year service life of PLA needlepunch in high-humidity ground contact is limited; accelerated aging in water at 60 °C for 30 days shows measurable tensile loss, which restricts use to temporary erosion control or short-cycle products unless hydrolysis stabilizers are formulated. REACH and RoHS declarations for the final needlepunch are generated from the resin SDS and finish composition, but specific migration testing under EU Regulation 10/2011 remains the responsibility of the converter when the article contacts food or skin.
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Ingeo™ Biopolymer 6204D Fiber-Grade PLA Resin is a polylactide thermoplastic supplied by NatureWorks LLC for continuous filament extrusion, spunbond nonwovens, and selected staple fiber processes. The model designation 6204D differentiates the grade by melt rheology and application class; it is not a general-purpose extrusion or injection molding material. Under ASTM D1238-20 and ISO 1133-1:2022, the manufacturer publishes a melt mass-flow rate of 15–30 g/10 min at 210 °C with 2.16 kg. Converted to melt volume-flow rate using the 1.24 g/cm³ specific gravity from ISO 1183-1:2019, the equivalent MVR is approximately 12–24 cm³/10 min. Thermal analysis by ISO 11357-2:2020 and ISO 11357-3:2018 places the glass transition at 55–60 °C and the crystalline melting endotherm at 150–170 °C. The fiber-grade formulation targets a controlled D-lactide content and molecular weight distribution that support melt attenuation and nonwoven bonding; lot-specific certificates of analysis should be used for acceptance because these values are not fixed absolute guarantees.
Polylactide is hygroscopic and undergoes hydrolytic chain scission during melt processing when moisture exceeds approximately 0.025 wt% (250 ppm). Ambient storage can introduce enough moisture to surpass this threshold; therefore a desiccant dryer must be used before extrusion. Production guidance for this fiber-grade class specifies pre-drying at 80 °C for 4 h, using drying air with a dew point below −40 °C, to reach a pellet moisture content below 250 ppm. The hydrolysis reaction is autocatalytic because carboxyl end groups accelerate further ester cleavage, so the molecular weight loss is non-linear: a poorly dried lot may show acceptable initial melt flow but a rapid loss of melt strength after several minutes of residence. On single-screw extruders with L/D 24:1 to 30:1, barrel settings usually begin at 180 °C in the feed zone and increase to 220–230 °C in the metering zone, while the adapter melt temperature is held below 240 °C. If melt temperature exceeds 240 °C, lactide reformation and volatile plate-out on die lips become more probable. Residence times exceeding 10 min at processing temperature increase the risk of molecular weight degradation, discoloration, and filament breakage. Breaker plates with 60–100 mesh screens are common; screen packs should be checked after each product change because degraded gel particles accumulate and raise pressure drop. A production-scale failure mode observed in poorly dried systems is surging melt pressure at the spin pump, leading to denier drift across the beam. The feed throat should be water-cooled and maintained below 50 °C to prevent premature pellet softening and feed instability.
On a spunbond beam, the molten polymer is metered by spin pumps through spinnerets; because 6204D has a relatively low melt viscosity, pump speed and die pressure must be balanced to prevent filament diameter fluctuations. Quench air temperature and velocity control the rate of solidification and the amount of stress-induced orientation. Typical PLA spunbond operations use quench air at 12–20 °C and 0.4–0.8 m/s; however, these settings must be adjusted for spinneret hole count, hole diameter, and beam width. Filament denier is set by the ratio of polymer throughput to take-up speed; published data for specific denier-per-filament ranges on this grade is limited, but spunbond lines commonly target 1–4 denier per filament for hygiene and filtration webs. The collected web is thermally bonded on engraved calender rolls operated at 120–150 °C surface temperature and 40–80 N/mm nip pressure. Bonding below 115 °C produces insufficient bond strength; bonding above 155 °C can cause the web to stiffen, shrink, and lose fiber definition through partial film formation. Because the bonding window sits between the glass transition and the crystalline melting range, the calender roll temperature profile must be matched to the web basis weight and line speed; higher line speeds require higher roll temperatures to deliver the same heat input. Inadequate quench air produces fused bundles that later create defects in thermal bonding and non-uniform basis weight.
Fiber-grade 6204D is differentiated from general-purpose 2003D mainly by melt-flow rate and the intended shear history. The general-purpose extrusion/thermoforming grade 2003D is typically published with a melt mass-flow rate near 6 g/10 min at 210 °C/2.16 kg; this higher viscosity is useful for sheet and profile extrusion but limits high-speed fiber attenuation. 6204D’s melt flow range of 15–30 g/10 min under the same condition reduces spinneret pressure drop and enables finer filament formation at production line speeds. Compared with another fiber grade, 6202D, the positioning is not solely a viscosity distinction. Technical literature presents 6202D for staple fiber and carded nonwoven routes, while 6204D is directed toward spunbond web formation and continuous filament operations. The stereochemical variable that matters most in PLA crystallization is the D-lactide content. A lower D-isomer fraction shortens the crystallization half-time and increases the maximum crystalline fraction, but too low a D-content can reduce melt elasticity and produce brittleness after thermal bonding. Fiber-grade formulations are therefore adjusted within a narrow D-lactide range; the exact batch value should be obtained from the certificate of analysis because it is deliberately controlled for fiber spinnability and downstream bonding response.
| Parameter | Ingeo 2003D | Ingeo 6204D | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melt mass-flow rate at 210 °C/2.16 kg | 6 g/10 min | 15–30 g/10 min | ASTM D1238-20 / ISO 1133-1:2022 |
| Specific gravity | 1.24 g/cm³ | 1.24 g/cm³ | ISO 1183-1:2019 / ASTM D792-20 |
| Glass transition | 55–60 °C | 55–60 °C | ISO 11357-2:2020 |
| Melting endotherm | 150–170 °C | 150–170 °C | ISO 11357-3:2018 |
| Primary process class | Sheet extrusion / thermoforming | Spunbond nonwoven fiber extrusion | Manufacturer technical literature |
These representative values are not batch release limits; converters should use the certificate of analysis for incoming lot acceptance. The comparison shows that density and thermal transitions are similar across the two grades, while the melt flow separation drives equipment selection.
Applications for Ingeo 6204D include spunbond nonwoven roll goods for hygiene top sheets and backsheets, medical gown and drape fabrics, face mask layers, filtration media, agricultural row covers, and wipes. The grade may be used as a sheath component in bicomponent spunbond filaments, where the core polymer supplies tensile strength and the PLA sheath supplies bonding and surface characteristics. In these uses, the line must compensate for PLA’s lower melt temperature and narrower thermal bonding window relative to polypropylene. Because the resin is biodegradable only under industrial compost conditions, not in ambient soil or marine environments, disposal claims for finished articles require separate certification such as EN 13432:2000 or ASTM D6400-23. Finished web tensile strength and elongation are normally measured under ISO 9073-3:1989, basis weight under ISO 9073-1:1989, and air permeability under ISO 9237:1995 for filtration and hygiene specifications.
Incoming lot qualification for 6204D should include melt flow rate by ASTM D1238-20 or ISO 1133-1:2022, moisture content by ISO 15512:2019 Karl Fischer titration, and density by ISO 1183-1:2019. Differential scanning calorimetry can track glass transition and melting endotherm shifts that indicate stereochemical or molecular weight changes. For continuous production, a moisture analyzer located at the dryer outlet is preferable to off-line pellet testing; a rise in residual moisture above 250 ppm should trigger automatic rejection to bypass. Sieve analysis of pellets may be used to reduce fines entering the feed throat because fines melt earlier and can form gels. Color measurements on pressed plaques or spunbond webs can detect thermal degradation and contamination; a significant increase in yellow index after drying indicates that dryer temperature or residence time has exceeded the resin’s stability boundary.
Continuous nonwoven lines designed for polypropylene cannot process 6204D without an operational shift. The barrel and die heater setpoints used for PP, often 230–260 °C, are too high for PLA; the upper limit of 240 °C for 6204D demands a lower thermal profile and careful calibration of heater zones near the melt filter. Screw speed and melt pump pressure should be set to match the lower melt viscosity of PLA; if pump speed is retained from PP operation, the reduced viscosity may cause die pressure to drop and filament diameter to become unstable. Ingeo 6204D also requires a positive drying system not always present on PP spunbond lines. Purge transition is another boundary: PLA is sensitive to residual polyolefin and condensation polymers; 1–2 h purge with a suitable PLA transition resin or a commercial purging compound is typical before switching, and the die head should be inspected for carbonized residues. For PET lines, the processing difference is greater because PET extrusion temperatures exceed 270 °C; PLA will degrade rapidly if these setpoints are not reduced. Ingeo 6204D is not a drop-in replacement for PP or PET in high-temperature applications, and substitution must include verification of fabric strength, thermal shrinkage, and porosity.
Material safety and regulatory compliance must be confirmed through the manufacturer’s current certificate. Under REACH, the polymer may be exempt from registration as a polymer, but residual monomers and additives must be assessed. RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU compliance for electrical and electronic applications should be confirmed by supplier declaration for the specific grade. Biobased carbon content can be measured by ASTM D6866-20 or ISO 16620-2:2019. If the final article is intended for food contact, the converter must verify suitability under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 or U.S. FDA 21 CFR appropriate sections; fiber-grade data may not cover all food-contact end uses. The resin should be stored sealed at 20–30 °C and re-dried before processing if bags are opened longer than 24 h at ambient humidity. Avoid storage near strong bases, hot water, or steam lines because PLA is susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis and rapid molecular weight loss. Thermogravimetric analysis can be used to establish degradation onset for a specific lot; a significant reduction in degradation onset temperature indicates contamination or prior hydrolytic damage.
