Ingeo®PLA

NatureWorks currently offers two biodegradable polymer brands for packaging and fibre applications. NatureWorks PLA is used for manufacture of food packaging and serviceware. Ingeo PLA is used for manufacture of nonwoven textile fibres. 

Figure 10.9. Comparison of the impacts on climate change and non-renewable resources of Ingeo PLA fibers from Nature works and recycled PET [NAT]...

Ingeo PLA is easily processable and suitable as amorphous biopackaging material as a result of its relatively high meso-lactide content. The downside is the poor resistance to elevated temperatures (low heat distortion temperature, HDT) during transportation, storage, and use of articles produced from this bioplastic. mc o-Lactide— which contains an L- and a D-isomer—is an unavoidable side product of lactide production and must be separated from L- and D-lactides of high stereochemical purity. 

The LCA for the production of PLA pellets in a cradle-to-gate analysis was provided with an LCA on Ingeo PLA. The PLA was produced with the new lactic acid production process with reduced environmental impacts for the Ingeo production system. The LCA provides energy and water requirements, greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and pollution production (Vink, Davies, and Kolstad in 2010) (Madival, Auras, Singh, and Narayan 2009). 

FIGURE 3.5 Cradle-to-gate process of producing Ingeo PLA plastic pellet. 

Table 3.2 provides the environmental impacts of producing 1 kg of Ingeo PLA. 

PLA can be chemically recycled in a process called LOOPLA hydrolysis (NatureWorks 2013). During hydrolysis, the Ingeo PLA plastic is broken down into lactic acid. The lactic acid can then be polymerized back into Ingeo PLA. 

Ingeo PLA resin data were referenced with 16% reduction in energy usage and 35% reduction in C02eq per kilogram Ingeo PLA plastic (Vink et al. 2010). 

Plastics can be made with lower environmental impacts of lower GHGs, lower waste generation, and lower pollution. NatureWorks LLC provides a sustainable plastic example by producing the Ingeo PLA with lower energy and lower carbon footprint than previous versions of PLA. 

Ingeo PLA currently has an estimated cradle-to-gate GHG of 0.5—0.7 kg C02/kg, compared to 1.6—1.7 and 2—2.2 kg C02/kg for PP and PET, respectively, depending on production method and mode of calculation (Corbion Purac, 2013 Natureworks, 2009). In comparison to wool or cotton fibres, PLA requires significandy less water and land for the production of an identical weight of fibres (Hagen, 2013). When combined, these positive factors result in a highly sustainable polymer that has the potential... 

The life cycle analysis of various Ingeo PLA products can be found here http //www. natureworksllc.com/the-ingeo-joumey/eco-prolile-and-lca/life-cycle-analysis/... 

Figure 1.12 Contribution of petrochemicai poiymers and Ingeo PLA to global climate change (adapted from Vink et al., 2010).

Currently, NatureWorks owns the largest single lactic acid production facility, with 180,000 MT produced per year using corn as the feedstock. The lactic acid produced by NatureWorks is mainly used for conversion to Ingeo PLA. Meanwhile, Purac is the largest lactic acid producer, and their products are widely used in the food, beverage and... 

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