- Materials
- Forms
- Reference Materials
-
Services
-
Services
-
-
Sectors
-
Supporting cutting edge research and development with advanced materials to your needs.
High performance materials for extreme conditions.
Innovative and lightweight materials with high mechanical properties and durability.
Materials used in chemical engineering from consumables to innovative solutions.
Advanced materials characterized by high electrical or insulation performance.
High quality materials for renewable energy.
Biocompatible and biodegradable materials to the highest standards.
High purity, biocompatible materials for high performance devices and applications.
High purity metals and alloys in various forms and crucibles suitable to your needs.
State of the art materials for the next generation of technologies.
High performance materials for extreme conditions.
Durable materials for corrosive environments.
Foils, disks or windows across a range of materials to facilitate your innovation.
Polymers, metal foils, and sustainable materials for your packaging needs.
Your requirements for unique products and attributes will be met across our 170,000+ product range and customization capabilities.
High-quality materials across branded products in various forms including rods, wires, and foils support space technology needs.
Highest quality materials to support your need for small-quantity specialist materials such as graphite and lithium compounds.
High purity materials to improve the reproducibility and reliability of your evaporation processes.
-
- Product Ranges
-
Resources
-
Find out our latest news.
Read our latest insights, and opinions.
Discover our Innovation Discovered podcasts on innovation, products, interesting topics, and more.
Find out how we've worked with our partners
Our latest updates on what we are doing, find out more.
Find out more about us and the great roles we have available for talented individuals. Find out more.
Take a look at our global distributors.
Explore our FAQ resource to help answer your key questions.
Gain a clearer picture of the language used in scientific study
-
- About Us
Polylactic Acid Granules
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Weight | Molecular Weight | Melt Flow Rate (MFR) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g (0.022 lbs) to 10,000 g (22.04 lbs) | 55K g/mol to 230K g/mol | 6 g/10min to 80 g/10min |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Key Features
Polylactic Acid Granules (PLA) are a bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable thermoplastic polyester derived from renewable plant resources, available in molecular weights from 55,000 to 230,000 g/mol and melt flow rates from 6 to 80 g/10 min:
Bio-Based, Compostable and FDA-Approved for Food Contact
PLA is derived from the fermentation of renewable plant resources including corn starch and sugarcane. It is certified biodegradable under industrial composting conditions and FDA-approved for food contact, making it the principal replacement material for single-use petroleum-based plastics.
Molecular Weight Range 55,000–230,000 g/mol
Molecular weight directly governs mechanical performance and processability. High molecular weights above 100,000 g/mol produce fibers, flexible films, and durable structural parts with good mechanical integrity. Lower molecular weights suit injection moulding of thinner, more complex geometries.
Melt Flow Rate Range 6–80 g/10 min
Low MFR grades (6–20 g/10 min) are selected for blow moulding, film extrusion, and thermoforming where melt strength is required to maintain part geometry. High MFR grades (40–80 g/10 min) flow readily into fine-featured injection moulds for thin-walled and complex components.
Biocompatibility for Biomedical Applications
PLA’s biocompatibility supports use in resorbable sutures, drug delivery matrices, and tissue engineering scaffolds where gradual in vivo hydrolytic degradation eliminates the need for surgical removal of implanted components.
Wide Range for Structure-Property Research
The 55,000–230,000 g/mol molecular weight range supports systematic studies of crystallinity, thermal stability, and degradation kinetics in biopolymers, enabling controlled investigation of how chain length affects PLA material behavior.
Industrial Applications
Polylactic Acid Granules are used wherever biodegradability, renewable origin, FDA food contact approval, and thermoplastic processability determine material selection:
- ✦ Food Packaging, Cups and Disposable Cutlery
- The principal replacement for single-use petroleum-based plastics in food packaging, disposable cups, and cutlery applications, where industrial compostability, FDA food contact approval, and thermoplastic processability allow drop-in substitution in existing manufacturing processes.
- ✦ Agricultural Mulch Film
- Used as biodegradable agricultural mulch film where in-soil degradation after the growing season eliminates the collection and disposal burden associated with conventional polyethylene mulch film.
- ✦ Fiber and Film Production
- High molecular weight grades are processed into fibers for nonwoven fabrics, apparel, and filtration media, and into flexible films for packaging, where good mechanical integrity combined with biodegradability is the design requirement.
- ✦ Resorbable Sutures and Drug Delivery Matrices
- Biocompatible PLA is used in resorbable surgical sutures and drug delivery matrices, where controlled hydrolytic degradation provides a defined release profile and eliminates the need for suture removal or implant retrieval.
- ✦ Tissue Engineering Scaffolds
- Applied as a scaffold material in tissue engineering, where biocompatibility, resorbability, and the ability to form porous three-dimensional structures by electrospinning or melt processing support cell attachment and tissue ingrowth.
- ✦ Structure-Property Research in Biopolymers
- The wide molecular weight and MFR range supports systematic research into PLA crystallinity, thermal stability, and degradation kinetics, enabling controlled investigation of chain length and processing effects on biopolymer behavior.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Elongation at break( % ) | 6 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 3.5 |
| Izod impact strength( J m⁻¹ ) | 16 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 53 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Heat-deflection temperature - 1.8MPa( C ) | 55 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 1.24 |