Download or read book Poly(lactic acid) written by Rafael A. Auras and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-03-08 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the synthesis, properties, and processing methods of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), an important family of degradable plastics. As the need for environmentally-friendly packaging materials increases, consumers and companies are in search for new materials that are largely produced from renewable resources, and are recyclable. To that end, an overall theme of the book is the biodegradability, recycling, and sustainability benefits of PLA. The chapters, from a base of international expert contributors, describe specific processing methods, spectroscopy techniques for PLA analysis, and and applications in medical items, packaging, and environmental use.