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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

A Facile and Eco-friendly Route to Fabricate PolyLactic Acid Scaffolds with Graded Pore Size
Published on: October 17, 2016
Sustainable PLA Production via Butyl Lactate-Derived Lactide: Process Development and Functional Applications
Beevang Nyiavuevang1, Tanongsak Sukkasem1, Supunnee Junpirom1
1School of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
None:
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer valued for its renewability and biocompatibility. This study introduces an alternative nonfermentation synthesis route for PLA using butyl lactate as a feedstock. The process involves oligomerization, depolymerization, and ring-opening polymerization (ROP), with optimization of temperature, time, and catalyst concentration. SnCl4 was used for lactide synthesis, while Sn(Oct)2 with poly(glycerol)-10 and butanediol served as catalysts and initiators for polymerization. Under optimal conditions, high-purity lactide and PLA with properties comparable to commercial PLA were obtained. Moreover, PLA fibers with a highly porous surface morphology were successfully fabricated, providing large surface areas suitable for biomedical scaffolds and filtration applications. Although the PLA yield remains lower than industrial standards, this work demonstrates the technical feasibility of the proposed route and offers a foundation for process scale-up, expanding sustainable feedstock utilization and enhancing material functionality.
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