New milestones for biodegradable plastics in Japan and U.S.Toray Industries in Tokyo, Japan, claims to have developed the first flexible bi-oriented film based on polylactide (PLA PLA - American Plaice PLA - Palestine Liberation Army PLA - Parachute Landing Area PLA - Partial Look-Ahead PLA - Participatory Learning and Action PLA - Participatory Learning Appraisal PLA - Partido Liberal Andaluz PLA - Patent License Agreement PLA - Paya Lebar Air Base PLA - Payday Loan Act PLA - Pelvic Lymphadenectomy PLA - People's Liberation Army (China) PLA - Permanent Loan Agreement PLA - Personal Loan Agreement) biodegradable polymer, which is derived from cornstarch cornstarch, material made by pulverizing the ground, dried residue of corn grains after preparatory soaking and the removal of the embryo and the outer covering. It is used as laundry starch, in sizing paper, in making adhesives, and in cooking. Dextrin, corn syrup, and corn sugar are produced by the hydrolysis of cornstarch. See starch. by bacterial fermentation. Until now, PLA has been lacking in flexibility, Toray says. Its answer is proprietary microstructure control based on alloying. No plasticizers are used. The PLA base resin is NatureWorks from Cargill Dow LLC, Minnetonka, Minn. A second novel application of PLA is a biodegradable pipe developed by Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. in Tokyo. The pipe is said to possess mechanical strength comparable to PVC. However, it can be completely degrad- ed in soil overthree to five years. Mitsu-bishi foresees its use as temporary pipe for short-term service in places where pipe recovery is difficult. In the U.S., a water bottler and a dairy are the first beverage companies to package their products in NatureWorks PLA. Biota biota /bi·o·ta/ (bi-o´tah) all the living organisms of a particular area; the combined flora and fauna of a region. bi·o·ta (b  - Water from Biota Brands of America Inc., Ouray, Colo., is now available in liter, half-liter, and 12-oz PLA bottles. The film labels are also made of PLA, although the cap is not. Monolayer 1. A film or layer one molecule thick formed at the interface between water and either oil or air by a substance such as a partially esterified fatty acid that contains both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups in the same molecule. 2. A confluent sheet of cells, one cell deep, growing on a surface in a cell culture.  g -n -l p (taste/odor) properties comparable to PET. Meanwhile, a dairy farm consortium, Naturally Iowa, LLC in Clarinda, Iowa, is offering milk in a half-gallon "grip" bottle of PLA and is working with Cargill Dow to develop bottles for single-serve yogurt drinks. Cargill Dow is developing PLA bottle applications with makers of juices, ready-to-drink teas, and edible oils. Tel: (952) 742-0400 * PTDirect: 112BV |
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