Thermoforming PLA: How to Do It Right

摘要

Polylactic acid (PLA) resins are made from 100% renewable resources such as corn, sugar beets, or sugarcane. This clear thermoplastic is fully compostable and biodegradable but has properties very similar to petroleum-based resins that are typically converted into sheet for thermoforming. Thermoformers who are considering switching to PLA can run it without any major modifications to their equipment or tooling. However, there are some important considerations that need to be addressed before successfully switching from familiar thermoformed materials like oriented PS and PET to PLA.