Polylactic Acid Production from Corn - Cost Analysis - PLA E41A
Description:... This report presents a cost analysis of Polylactic Acid (PLA) production starting from corn
The first section of the examined process is similar to Cargill process for lactic acid production, while the second section is similar to the NatureWorks process for polymerization of lactic acid.
In this process, shelled corn is passed through a wet milling process to form corn starch, which, in turn, is hydrolyzed to dextrose, the feed for the fermentation process that generates lactic acid . Lactic Acid recovery from the fermentation broth is carried out via trialkylamine solvent extraction in the presence of carbon dioxide. A L-Lactic Acid solution in water is formed and further polymerized to form Polylactic Acid. The conversion of corn into dextrose forms some residues that are sold as by-product.
This report was developed based essentially on the following reference(s):
(1) US Patent 6472559, issued to Cargill in 2002
(2) US Patent 8674056, issued to NatureWorks in 2014
(3) EP Patent 1247808, issued to Cargill in 2003
Keywords:
Corn, Corn Starch, 2-Hydroxypropanoic Acid, Anaerobic Fermentation, Trialkyl Amine, Sodium Carbonate, Lactide, 2-Hydroxypropanoic Acid, Dow, Biodegradable Polymer
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