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Technology

Produced starting from renewable raw materials, PLA (polylactic acid) is a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer which fits perfectly within the framework of development green chemistry. Two technological methods can be considered for the synthesis of PLA.

The one-step method comprises immediate polycondensation of lactic acid by removing water to produce a PLA polymer. However, the high viscosity of the conjugated environment and the depolymerisation reaction leading to the formation of the cyclic ester prevents the production of PLAs with high molecular weights. The production of a PLA with useful mechanical properties (high molecular weights) using this method requires use of an aromatic solvent, which is neither economical nor compatible with the development of green chemistry.

The two-step method requires the prior synthesis of the cyclic dimer of lactic acid, lactide, which is then subjected to ring opening polymerisation (ROP) to produce a PLA with high molecular weights presenting useful mechanical properties and application perspectives.

Based on the research begun at Galactic in 1994, Futerro has developed a two-step process that is innovative, economical and in conformity with today’s environmental constraints. The Futerro process is a bulk process and therefore no solvent is required.

The Futerro process is designed to produce very high-quality PLA, with a focus on:

• Promoting ‘low-temperature technologies’ to avoid any degradation or racemisation of the products in the production process.
• Promoting continuous technologies to ensure short residence times, enabling easy transposition and preserve of product quality.
• Promoting robust technologies already demonstrating their efficiency and controlled energy footprint in large-capacity industrial units.
• Producing, from a high-quality lactic acid, monomers and oligomers or polymers of exceptional and controlled optical purity.
• Offering sufficient flexibility to enable the production of various PLA or oligomers from L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, L-lactide, D-lactide or mixtures of them.

The Galactic production site in Escanaffles (Belgium) contains the Futerro’s demonstration unit based on this state-of-the-art technology. It will enable us to test and constantly improve the process and the quality of our products. This demonstration unit is scheduled to come on stream early 2010 and has an annual capacity of 1,500 tonnes.

An application hall plus polymer and end product specification laboratories at the Total Petrochemicals research centre in Feluy, Belgium are tasked with developing, testing and optimising our products. The introduction of transformation procedures related to the specificity of Futerro PLAs will enable us to provide a strong technical support to our future customers.