Sustainable Development

1. Drug Delivery Systems: PLA is widely used as a drug carrier in drug delivery systems. Due to its degradability, PLA can gradually release drugs in the body, achieving sustained therapeutic effects. Additionally, by altering the polymer's molecular weight and polymerization method, the release rate and duration of the drug can be controlled, enhancing efficacy and reducing side effects.

2. Surgical Sutures: In surgical procedures, compared to traditional non-degradable sutures, PLA sutures have good biocompatibility and degradability, allowing them to gradually degrade and disappear in the body, eliminating the need for a second surgery to remove them.

3. Orthopedics and Tissue Repair: PLA's good biocompatibility and degradability enable it to integrate with human bones, repairing bone defects while avoiding the risk of a second surgery.

4. Aesthetic Fillers: The application of biomedical materials is increasingly widespread in the field of aesthetic fillers, such as injectable facial fillers and facial embedding threads made from biodegradable materials. Regenerative injectable materials made from PLLA microspheres and PCL microspheres provide natural and realistic effects, gaining market recognition.

On-site and On-demand Manufacturing: 3D printing is characterized by high quality, high efficiency, and small-batch manufacturing, reducing overall energy waste.

Lightweight Components: Not every part in vehicles or equipment needs to be made of metal. In many cases, 3D-printed polymer or composite parts can provide the same performance, achieving the goal of lightweight design. 3D printing can produce parts with complex internal lattice structures, offering a high strength-to-weight ratio and high specific stiffness, enhancing the shape, function, performance, and durability of products.

Material Reduction: The advantage of 3D printing in reducing the material used for each part, component, and product can significantly reduce the carbon footprint. Designing for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) can reduce material usage by 5-25%, which is a widely accepted industry consensus.

Polylactic Acid (PLA) Fiber, also known as corn fiber, is mostly made from starch extracted from plants like corn and its stalks. The naturally weak acidic environment of PLA fiber inhibits bacterial growth, repels dust mites, and has characteristics such as moisture absorption and sweat-wicking, UV resistance, and low flammability. These features make it suitable for manufacturing clothing and home textiles, meeting consumer demands for upgraded textile products. PLA fiber is soft to the touch, breathable, and has natural antibacterial properties.

PLA fiber can completely degrade into water and carbon dioxide in soil within one to three years, and it does not cause pollution when burned, aligning with the expectations of eco-friendly consumption.

The traditional textile industry has been characterized by high energy consumption and high emissions. Data shows that the textile and apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, making it the second-largest polluting industry after oil. From nature to nature, PLA fiber fits the new textile consumption concept of "the more eco-friendly, the more fashionable."

Due to the difficulty of degrading commonly used petroleum-based plastics in the natural environment, their pollution control has become a global challenge.

Based on the new concept of "from nature, back to nature," scientists have developed a synthetic route to convert biomass such as corn into biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) plastics. This plastic, derived from plant starch, avoids the use of environmentally harmful petrochemical raw materials in its production process and has excellent biodegradability. It is an environmentally friendly plastic that provides a feasible solution for plastic pollution control.

Producing degradable plastics from the source to replace traditional plastics is considered the ultimate solution to the plastic pollution problem. PLA is widely used in food packaging, beverage bottles, disposable tableware, and other fields. Its transparency, excellent performance, and biodegradability make it an ideal substitute for traditional plastics.

Polylactic Acid (PLA) Chemical Recycling is a process that breaks down waste PLA materials into their original monomers or other valuable chemicals through chemical methods.

This recycling method not only effectively reduces the accumulation of plastic waste but also allows the recovered monomers to be reused in the production of new PLA or other products, thereby achieving efficient resource recycling. Chemical recycling of PLA helps to reduce carbon emissions, decrease dependence on fossil fuels, and promote the development of a green, low-carbon economy.

Carbon Reduction: Chemical recycling of polylactic acid (PLA) can effectively reduce carbon emissions. By chemically breaking down waste PLA into its monomer, lactic acid, which can then be used to produce new PLA, this closed-loop recycling model greatly improves resource utilization efficiency. It reduces the demand for new raw materials, thereby lowering the carbon footprint throughout the lifecycle. Additionally, chemical recycling of PLA can effectively reduce the accumulation of plastic waste, helping to mitigate the negative impact of plastic waste on ecosystems.

Green Process: The chemical recycling process itself is environmentally friendly. Compared to traditional mechanical recycling, chemical recycling can achieve efficient material regeneration with lower energy consumption and avoid the harmful substances that may be produced during high-temperature melting. Moreover, by-products of chemical recycling, such as lactate esters, also have good biodegradability and low toxicity.

Circular Economy: Chemical recycling of PLA aligns with the principles of a circular economy, enabling PLA materials to be recycled within a closed-loop system. By chemically degrading waste PLA into lactic acid or other useful chemicals, which can then be used to produce new PLA or other products, this process not only improves resource utilization efficiency but also reduces environmental pollution from waste. This recycling model adheres to the principles of a circular economy and contributes to sustainable resource management.

Through chemical recycling, PLA materials can achieve efficient resource regeneration and significantly reduce environmental burdens, promoting the development of a green, low-carbon economy. By promoting and applying chemical recycling technology, more environmentally friendly and sustainable production and consumption patterns can be realized.