| HS Code | 734253 |
| Product | PLA thermoplastic Rigid/Flexible Biodegradable General Purpose Polylactic Acid |
| Rigidity | Rigid to flexible depending on grade |
| Flexibility | Available in rigid and flexible grades |
| Biodegradability | Biodegradable |
| Renewable Source | Corn starch or sugarcane |
| Density | 1.24-1.26 g/cm3 |
| Melting Point | 150-160 °C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 55-60 °C |
| Tensile Strength | 50-70 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 2.7-3.5 GPa |
| Elongation At Break | 2-10% for rigid grades, higher for flexible grades |
| Flexural Modulus | 3-4 GPa |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 50-60 °C |
| Processing Temperature | 170-230 °C |
| Biodegradation Conditions | Industrial composting |
| Biodegradation Time | 6-12 months in industrial compost |
| Moisture Sensitivity | Hygroscopic |
As an accredited PLA thermoplastic Rigid/Flexible Biodegradable General Purpose Polylactic Acid factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in 25 kg moisture-barrier foil-lined paper sacks, palletized and shrink-wrapped, for dry storage of biodegradable polylactic acid resin. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL: general-purpose PLA thermoplastic resin, biodegradable rigid/flexible grades, 25 kg palletized bags, shrink-wrapped and secured for ocean transport. |
| Shipping | PLA thermoplastic, rigid/flexible, biodegradable, general-purpose polylactic acid ships as a non-hazardous, non-regulated solid resin. Use sealed moisture-barrier bags, drums, or supersacks on pallets. Keep dry, cool, ventilated, and away from heat, sunlight, and moisture. Handle pellets gently to avoid dust; follow supplier SDS and local transport regulations. |
| Storage | Store PLA in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat, moisture, and incompatible oxidizers. Keep containers sealed in original packaging to prevent moisture uptake and hydrolysis. Maintain temperatures below its softening point, ideally 10–25°C, with low humidity. Protect from physical damage and dust. Ensure good ventilation and avoid ignition sources. Follow local regulations and manufacturer guidance. |
| Shelf Life | General-purpose PLA typically has a shelf life of 12–24 months if kept sealed, cool, dry, and protected from moisture, heat, and UV. |
In extrusion of PLA rigid sheet for food-service trays, pellets are dried in a desiccant-wheel dryer to a residual moisture concentration below 250 ppm before entering the hopper. This limit is not a storage convenience. Hydrolysis at melt temperature reduces intrinsic viscosity rapidly when moisture exceeds 0.025 wt%, producing sheet with slumped edges, inconsistent plug-assist forming, and embrittled trim. Sheet lines with L/D 30:1 to 36:1 single-screw extruders and barrier screws operate with barrel zones at 175–210 °C. The die zone is held at 190–205 °C. Melt pressure measured before the screen changer is typically 80–150 bar for a 1.0–1.5 m sheet die, depending on throughput. Chill roll temperatures between 30 °C and 50 °C produce amorphous sheet at thicknesses from 0.25 mm to 1.0 mm. Thermoforming of amorphous PLA sheet requires surface temperatures of 80–105 °C; below this band, the sheet crazes and splits at corners; above it, cold crystallization begins and the part becomes hazy before forming is complete. Plug-assist thermoforming uses plug depth of 70–90% of cavity depth to distribute sidewall gauge. Post-trim scrap can be re-extruded at up to 30% by weight if the granulate is dried again, but published intrinsic viscosity decline for three repetitive heat histories is grade-dependent. Rigid thermoformed items made from PLA are tested under ISO 527-2 for tensile strength, ISO 178 for flexural modulus, and ISO 75-2/B for heat deflection temperature. Food-contact status is grade-specific. In the EU, migration testing follows EU No 10/2011; in the US, the resin supplier must provide the applicable food-contact notification or GRAS-based clearance because generic PLA does not automatically carry FDA food-contact status.
| D-lactide content | Crystallization half-time at 110 °C | HDT unannealed, ISO 75-2/B | HDT annealed, ISO 75-2/B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0–1.5 mol% | 1–3 min | 55–60 °C | 85–105 °C |
| 1.5–4 mol% | 3–10 min | 50–55 °C | 75–95 °C |
| >8 mol% | >30 min | 50–55 °C | 55–65 °C |
The main limitation in blown film is not melt temperature but low elongational viscosity and a narrow processing window between 160 °C and 190 °C. Unmodified PLA has no strain-hardening plateau comparable to LDPE, so bubble instabilities and neck-in appear at blow-up ratios above 2.5:1. Typical flexible film grades are compounded with 10–25 wt% of a biodegradable copolyester such as PBAT or with 5–15 wt% acetyl tributyl citrate. The plasticizer lowers the glass transition from 55–60 °C to 30–42 °C and raises elongation at break measured under ISO 527-3 from 5–10% to 150–300%. Blown film lines employ a L/D 30:1 to 40:1 extruder with a grooved feed section and a die gap of 1.2–2.0 mm. Blow-up ratio is held at 2:1 to 3:1; higher ratios collapse the bubble. Melt temperature at the die is set to 170–190 °C. For cast film, the die gap is reduced to 0.8–1.2 mm, the air gap is 15–30 mm, and chill roll temperature is 20–40 °C. Tear resistance under ISO 6383-2 is commonly 15–40 N/mm depending on blend ratio. Oxygen permeability of flexible PLA films is measured by ASTM D3985; water vapour transmission is measured by ISO 15106-2. The plasticizer system avoids phthalates, but migration kinetics in polymer matrices must be checked for high-fat food contact because citrate plasticizers can migrate above 60 °C. This flexible film application is valid only for produce bags, carrier bags, and light secondary packaging where the lower puncture resistance and higher moisture sensitivity of PLA-based blends are operationally acceptable.
Injection molding of PLA cutlery begins with melt preparation at 160–200 °C. The screw should use low-to-moderate compression ratios between 2.0:1 and 2.8:1. High compression and high shear raise melt temperature above 210 °C and trigger lactide reformation, visible as plate-out on the mold surface. Shot weight consistency degrades when the non-return valve leaks due to low melt viscosity. Screw recovery times are typically 2–6 s on 100–300 t machines. Mold temperatures of 15–40 °C freeze the amorphous skin quickly, but thick sections above 3 mm develop sink marks and stress whitening. Flexural modulus of molded PLA cutlery measured by ISO 178 is generally 3.0–3.5 GPa for rigid grades, while notched Izod impact under ISO 180/1A is 2–5 kJ/m². This low impact range limits heavy-load use. Annealing at 90–100 °C for 15–30 min increases the heat deflection temperature under ISO 75-2/B to 85–105 °C, but the process must be run in a jig because PLA parts distort during annealing. Drool at shut-off is controlled by dropping the nozzle temperature to 180 °C and using screw decompression of 2–4 mm. General-purpose PLA cutlery is certified under EN 13432 only when the complete item meets disintegration in 12 weeks and heavy-metal limits. Additives can invalidate compostability, so the grade supplier certificate must cover the final colourant and processing aid package.
The first process variable is moisture, not nozzle temperature. PLA filament stored at 50% RH can exceed 500 ppm water within 24 h, leading to hydrolysis during melt deposition. Industrial filament drying uses 60–80 °C for 4–6 h in a dew-point-controlled dryer to bring moisture below 250 ppm. Extrusion for 1.75 mm filament uses a 24:1 or 30:1 L/D single-screw extruder with a melt pump and a diameter tolerance of ±0.05 mm. Nozzle temperature in fused filament fabrication is set at 200–220 °C, while the print bed is held at 20–60 °C. Heated beds above 50 °C improve first-layer adhesion but increase the risk of elephant-foot distortion on large parts. Tensile properties of printed specimens under ISO 527-2 are directionally anisotropic: XY specimens commonly reach 45–55 MPa, while Z-axis interlayer specimens reach 25–35 MPa and elongation at break remains 2–6%. Parts printed from annealed PLA on a 60 °C bed remain dimensionally stable up to 55 °C. Unannealed parts may distort under load at 45 °C. Thermal stability of the melt is narrow; residence above 220 °C for more than 15 min causes yellowing and a measurable loss in molecular weight that reduces interlayer fusion.
In spunbond nonwoven production, PLA resin with a melt flow rate between 15 g/10 min and 40 g/10 min at 210 °C/2.16 kg is dried to below 200 ppm moisture and extruded through a high-hole-density spinneret. Filament drawing is performed with aspirator or slot jet air, producing fiber diameters of 12–20 µm, corresponding to approximately 1.5–2.5 denier for PLA density. Calendar bonding is run at 130–160 °C with engraved roll bond area between 15% and 25%. Tensile strength under ISO 9073-3 for basis weights of 15–50 g/m² is commonly 20–60 N/5 cm in machine direction. The processing window at the spinneret is narrow because PLA has low melt strength relative to polypropylene. Filament breaks during draw resonance are managed by lowering the extrusion temperature to 190–210 °C and reducing air velocity, not by increasing melt temperature. Industrial compostability certificates for PLA nonwovens reference ISO 17088 rather than ASTM D6400 unless the nonwoven is used as packaging. Hydrolytic instability must be considered before this substrate is placed in wet-wipe or hygiene applications where storage above 45 °C and high humidity accelerate strength loss.
Low-density PLA foam for protective packaging is generated on tandem single-screw lines with injection of CO₂ as physical blowing agent at 2–5 wt%. The first extruder melts and cools the resin to 140–170 °C; the second maintains a melt temperature below 130 °C to preserve nucleation density. Unmodified PLA lacks adequate extensional viscosity for stable cell growth. Addition of 0.2–0.8 wt% epoxy-functional chain extender increases branching and allows expansion ratios of 10–30×. Foam density of 0.03–0.10 g/cm³ is achievable with this configuration. Compressive strength measured by ASTM D1621 at 10% strain is commonly 50–300 kPa. Cushioning curves are generated under ASTM D1596 because the plateau stress of PLA foam is more temperature-dependent than expanded polyethylene. Die temperature at the second extruder is the critical control point: below 125 °C, melt strength is too high for uniform expansion; above 140 °C, cell collapse occurs. Post-foaming aging at 23 °C and 50% RH for 24–48 h stabilizes dimensions before cutting.
Cupstock and folding carton lines that switch from LDPE to PLA need different adhesion control. PLA extrusion coating on unprimed kraft board achieves fiber-tear adhesion only above 180 °C melt temperature at the die. Excessive temperature above 210 °C generates lactide reformation and pinholes. The air gap is held at 15–25 cm, and chill roll temperature is set between 20 °C and 35 °C to quench the amorphous coating. Coating thickness is usually 15–30 µm. At 30 µm, water vapour transmission rate under ISO 15106-2 at 38 °C/90% RH can be in the range 20–60 g/m²·day, which is higher than PE of equal gauge. Oxygen barrier under ASTM D3985 at 23 °C and 0% RH is lower than PE, typically 20–40 cm³·20 µm/m²·day·atm, making PLA a functional barrier for oxygen-sensitive board laminates. Pinhole counts are reduced by melt filtration at 60–80 µm and by using resin with melt flow index between 5 g/10 min and 15 g/10 min at 210 °C/2.16 kg. Chill roll haze is controlled by avoiding surface temperature below 20 °C, which freezes the melt curtain too quickly and creates micro-roughness. The adhesion strength is measured by a peel test of 15 mm strips at 300 mm/min, with substrate fiber tear required for food-service board.
| Parameter | Method | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Biodegradation in industrial composting | ASTM D6400, ISO 14855-1 | ≥90% biodegradation of total organic carbon within 180 days |
| Disintegration | EN 13432 Annex A | ≤10% dry residue retained on 2 mm sieve after 12 weeks |
| Ecotoxicity | OECD 208 | Plant emergence and biomass ≥90% of control |
| Heavy metals | EN 13432 Annex E | Limits for As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, Mo |
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The PLA thermoplastic Rigid/Flexible Biodegradable General Purpose Polylactic Acid product family is supplied as three grades: PLA-RG-30, PLA-GP-20, and PLA-FX-10. The rigid grade PLA-RG-30 is a semi-crystalline polylactic acid with low D-lactide content below 1.5 % w/w; the flexible grade PLA-FX-10 is compounded with a non-phthalate biodegradable plasticizer and a biodegradable copolyester at 15–25 % w/w; the general-purpose grade PLA-GP-20 occupies an intermediate formulation. The base polymer is produced by ring-opening polymerization of lactide derived from fermentation-based lactic acid. The rigid grade shows a glass transition temperature of 55–60 °C and a melting endotherm at 150–170 °C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 10 °C/min per ISO 11357-2:2020. The flexible grade does not show a single dominant melting endotherm and displays a broad softening range because the plasticizer suppresses the PLA crystalline phase and reduces storage modulus below 1.5 GPa at 23 °C.
Density of PLA-RG-30 is 1.24 g/cm³ per ISO 1183-1:2019; PLA-FX-10 has a density of 1.20–1.22 g/cm³. Melt flow rate for PLA-GP-20 is 6–12 g/10 min at 210 °C under 2.16 kg per ISO 1133-1:2022. The material is more than 95 % biobased by carbon-14 measurement per EN 16640:2017. Residual lactide monomer is controlled below 0.5 % w/w because higher residual monomer increases die lip deposits and reduces melt surface quality. The grades are designed to meet industrial compostability requirements under EN 13432:2000 and ASTM D6400-21.
Moisture content at packaging is controlled below 250 ppm by Karl Fischer titration per ISO 15512:2019. Number-average molecular weight after polymerization is typically 80,000–120,000 g/mol; repeated processing above 240 °C reduces this value by 10–20 % per cycle. The material is not stabilized for repeated high-temperature recycling beyond 3 compounding cycles without virgin dilution.
The primary differentiation is achieved through D-lactide content, plasticizer loading, and molecular weight distribution. The data below are typical ranges from supplier technical data sheets; lot-to-lot variation should be verified against grade-specific certificates of analysis.
| Property | PLA-RG-30 | PLA-GP-20 | PLA-FX-10 | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melt flow rate at 210 °C / 2.16 kg | 14–20 g/10 min | 6–12 g/10 min | 3–8 g/10 min | ISO 1133-1:2022 |
| Tensile yield strength | 62–66 MPa | 50–60 MPa | 18–28 MPa | ASTM D638-14 |
| Tensile modulus | 3.5–3.8 GPa | 2.8–3.4 GPa | 0.8–1.5 GPa | ISO 527-2:2012 |
| Elongation at break | 2–5 % | 3–10 % | 150–300 % | ASTM D638-14 |
| Heat deflection temperature at 0.455 MPa | 50–55 °C | 48–53 °C | 40–45 °C | ASTM D648-16 |
| Density at 23 °C | 1.24 g/cm³ | 1.23 g/cm³ | 1.20–1.22 g/cm³ | ISO 1183-1:2019 |
Grade selection is driven by melt rheology and end-use mechanical load. PLA-RG-30 is intended for disposable cutlery, transparent rigid containers, and short-shelf-life packaging where high modulus and clarity are required. PLA-GP-20 is used for injection-molded parts with moderate impact demand and for filament extrusion. PLA-FX-10 is used for compostable films, shrink sleeves, and ductile liners; its elongation at break of 150–300 % per ASTM D638-14 approaches PBAT-like ductility but with lower melt strength than conventional polyethylene. Published multi-laboratory data for highly plasticized PLA film grades is limited; the values above should be confirmed against grade-specific certificates of analysis.
In capillary rheometry at 210 °C, apparent shear viscosity at 100 s⁻¹ is 500–800 Pa·s for PLA-RG-30 and 200–350 Pa·s for PLA-GP-20. PLA-FX-10 has a shear viscosity of 150–300 Pa·s at 100 s⁻¹ but higher extensional viscosity, which improves bubble stability in blown film. On a 50 mm co-rotating twin-screw extruder with L/D 40:1, vacuum venting at -0.08 MPa, and screw speed 300 rpm, melt pressure for PLA-RG-30 at 210 °C is 3.5–4.5 MPa; for PLA-FX-10 it drops to 1.5–2.5 MPa.
Injection molding of PLA-GP-20 and PLA-RG-30 uses melt temperatures of 190–220 °C. PLA-FX-10 is processed at 180–205 °C to limit plasticizer volatilization and die drool. Barrel profiles from feed to nozzle are typically 160–170 °C, 180–195 °C, 195–210 °C, and 190–205 °C. Mold temperature is maintained at 25–80 °C; for heat-resistant PLA-RG-30 parts, mold temperature of 80 °C plus annealing at 100 °C for 30 min raises heat deflection temperature from 50–55 °C to 80–95 °C per ASTM D648-16. Hold pressure should not exceed 80 MPa to prevent internal stress. General-purpose screws with L/D 20:1 and compression ratio 2.5:1 are sufficient; a low-shear barrier screw reduces melt temperature overshoot by 5–10 °C.
Sheet extrusion is performed at melt temperatures 200–215 °C. The die lip gap is set to 1.5–2.5 mm for sheet thickness 0.3–1.5 mm. Polishing roll temperatures are held at 30–60 °C; higher roll temperatures promote crystallinity but reduce line speed. Edge trim regrind up to 20 % can be used, but higher regrind fractions increase gel content and reduce edge stability. Lactide monomer deposits on the die lip typically appear after 4–6 h of continuous running at melt temperatures above 220 °C, requiring periodic die cleaning.
For fused filament fabrication feedstock, PLA-GP-20 is extruded into 1.75 mm or 2.85 mm monofilament on a single-screw extruder with 24:1 L/D and a melt gear pump. Filament ovality is controlled to 0.05 mm maximum. Line speed is 15–30 m/min, lower than typical ABS filament because PLA melt strength is lower and the strand can sag before water cooling. Moisture below 200 ppm is required to prevent microbubbles that reduce filament transparency and cause print defects.
Hydrolytic chain scission becomes measurable when pellet moisture exceeds 250 ppm. At ambient relative humidity above 60 %, pellets left in an open hopper can reach 0.3–0.5 % w/w moisture within 2–4 h. Injection molding under these conditions produces silver streaks, gate blush, and an apparent melt flow rate increase of 2–5 g/10 min relative to dried pellets. Tensile yield strength of PLA-GP-20 can decrease by 8–15 % after one thermal cycle in the presence of moisture. All three grades require desiccant drying with a dew point below -40 °C at 80 °C for 4 h, targeting residual moisture below 250 ppm per ISO 15512:2019. Moisture above 500 ppm is associated with permanent viscosity loss and cannot be fully reversed by reprocessing.
The drying hopper must be sealed and insulated; at high ambient humidity, insulated stainless-steel hoppers should be used with dry air purge of 0.5–1.0 m³/h per 100 kg/h throughput. If the material remains in the hopper at 80 °C for more than 8 h, surface lactide can volatilize and deposit on hopper walls. Processing with moisture levels above 300 ppm is not recommended for injection stretch blow molding because preform reheat and stretch induce orientation-induced crystallization only if molecular weight distribution remains intact.
Biodegradation of this PLA product family requires industrial composting conditions. Under EN 13432:2000, the material must reach at least 90 % disintegration after 12 weeks at 58 °C and at least 90 % mineralization within 180 days. Under ASTM D6400-21, equivalent requirements apply for compostable plastics. In ambient soil at 20–25 °C, hydrolysis is slow because the amorphous PLA phase is below its glass transition temperature and the crystalline phase is not accessible to water; published soil degradation half-lives for high-molecular-weight PLA exceed 2 years in many test series. The product should not be described as home compostable unless a specific grade has been certified under AS 5810:2010 or an equivalent home compost standard.
| Regulation/standard | Test method or clause | Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| EU Regulation 10/2011 | Overall migration | less than 10 mg/dm² |
| FDA FCN 000178 | Food-contact substance | Compliant for intended use |
| EN 13432:2000 | Disintegration, mineralization, ecotoxicity | at least 90 % disintegration in 12 weeks; at least 90 % mineralization in 180 days |
| ASTM D6400-21 | Compostable plastics | Equivalent to EN 13432:2000 |
| RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU | Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr(VI), PBB, PBDE | less than 1000 ppm except Cd less than 100 ppm |
| REACH 1907/2006 | SVHC content | less than 0.1 % w/w per article |
The flexible grade PLA-FX-10 uses a non-phthalate biodegradable plasticizer system and is formulated without intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. All three grades are supplied with a certificate of analysis covering residual lactide, volatile content, and melt flow rate. The compliance matrix should be revalidated for each lot because additive suppliers and polymerization conditions can shift specific migration values.
Compared with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), PLA-GP-20 and PLA-RG-30 exhibit tensile moduli of 2.8–3.8 GPa, whereas typical PBAT film grades exhibit 0.06–0.1 GPa at 23 °C per ISO 527-2:2012. This stiffness difference makes PLA suitable for rigid single-use cutlery, clam shells, and thermoformed trays, but the elongation at break of PLA-GP-20 is 3–10 % compared with PBAT values of 300–700 %. PLA-FX-10 narrows the ductility difference to 150–300 % elongation while reducing tensile modulus to 0.8–1.5 GPa.
Compared with polyhydroxyalkanoate, PLA has a sharper melting endotherm and lower heat distortion unless annealed; PHA grades may exhibit heat deflection temperature above 70 °C but often have a narrower processing window and higher batch-to-batch viscosity scatter. Starch-filled biodegradable compounds typically absorb more water and show tensile strengths of 10–25 MPa, while PLA-GP-20 retains 50–60 MPa tensile yield after conditioning at 23 °C and 50 % RH per ASTM D638-14. The notched Izod impact strength of unmodified PLA-GP-20 is 2–5 kJ/m² per ISO 180:2019, which is lower than high-impact polystyrene and requires impact modification for durable parts.
Compared with polypropylene, PLA-GP-20 has a comparable tensile modulus but lower heat deflection temperature and a lower maximum continuous service temperature. The PLA melt processing window is bounded by moisture-induced hydrolysis at low temperature and lactide formation above 260 °C; polypropylene can be processed at 220–240 °C without hydrolytic degradation. However, PLA-GP-20 has a narrower heat seal initiation range of 85–100 °C in cast film, which is lower than polypropylene and useful for reduced thermal load in packaging lines.
For food-contact applications, the grades are assessed under EU Regulation 10/2011 with an overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm² and under FDA FCN 000178 when used in single-use and repeated-use formats as specified by the manufacturer. The material is not recommended for continuous hot-fill above 60 °C unless the part has been annealed and heat deflection under load is verified. Strong alkalis, concentrated organic acids, and prolonged processing above 260 °C are incompatible with the base polymer. Products should be stored in sealed, moisture-barrier sacks below 30 °C and protected from direct sunlight; opened bags must be re-sealed and consumed within 24 h at ambient conditions above 60 % RH.
