Researchers find simpler, waste-free way to produce PLA

Researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium have found a way to make the PLA production process more simple and waste-free. An article about the research is published in Science.
During the chemical process in the reactor they used a zeolite as a catalyst. Zeolites are porous minerals. By selecting a specific type on the basis of its pore shape, they were able to convert lactic acid directly into the building blocks for PLA without making the larger by-products that do not fit into the zeolite pores. The new method produces more PLA with less waste and without using metals. The new method is cheaper because a step in the process is skipped (News Item KU Leuven, 6 July 2015).
Click here for the news item.
Click here for an abstract of the published article.

If you have any questions about this subject, please contact us: info@nvc.nl, +31-(0)182-512411. This item is also included in our monthly overview, the NVC Members-only Update.