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Lactic Acid Production by Hydrolysis of Poly(Lactic Acid) in Aqueous Solutions: An Experimental and Kinetic Study

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Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is increasingly utilized as an alternative to petroleum-based polymers in order to reduce their impact on the environment. The monomer of PLA is mainly produced from corn, which, in addition to its food utilization, can be also used for the production of bioethanol or biofuels. In this work the depolymerization (chemical recycling) of PLA pellets in a batch reactor at temperatures near the melting temperature of solid PLA has been investigated to produce lactic acid. New experimental data are presented and a kinetic model is provided for a first analysis. With a residence time less than 120 min, a yield of lactic acid greater than 95 % has been obtained at temperatures of 160 and 180 °C for pressure equal to water vapour pressure and a water/PLA ratio by weight equal ~10.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank CONAI, Dr. Erwin Vink, Dr. Enrica Piscolla and Dr Paola Meninno for their useful contribution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy

    V. Piemonte

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering Materials and Environment, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy

    V. Piemonte & F. Gironi

Authors
  1. V. Piemonte
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  2. F. Gironi
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Correspondence to V. Piemonte.

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Piemonte, V., Gironi, F. Lactic Acid Production by Hydrolysis of Poly(Lactic Acid) in Aqueous Solutions: An Experimental and Kinetic Study. J Polym Environ 21, 275–279 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-012-0468-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-012-0468-8

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