Polylactic acid (PLA) is a new type of bio-based and renewable biodegradable material, which is made from starch raw materials proposed by corn and cassava. It can be completely degraded after use, eventually producing carbon dioxide and water, and does not pollute the environment. It is a recognized environmentally friendly material.

Generally, pure PLA is rarely used alone as a straw, and most of them are modified PLA raw materials, because during long-distance transportation, pure PLA straws will become sticky when they exceed 50-60°C; pure PLA has no toughness, and it is generally added Some additives and fillers, such as calcium carbonate, talc, etc., will also be modified by adding PBS (a biodegradable plastic, polybutylene succinate).

1、production material

PLA straws are also called "polylactic acid straws". As the name suggests, the raw material used in the production of PLA straws is the environmentally friendly material "lactic acid". Described by the knowledge of high school biology, lactic acid can be converted from sugar. In the PLA production process, the source of sugar is usually starch extracted from corn and other grains. Of course, a more environmentally friendly approach is to extract sugar directly from food residues.

After the sugar is extracted, it goes through a fermentation process, which is similar to the winemaking process. After the fermentation is complete, the glucose can be turned into lactic acid!

After the lactic acid is obtained, the lactic acid monomer is specially concentrated, and then the concentrated product is vacuum-purified and polymerized under certain conditions to obtain PLA molecules. Finally, the polymerized molecules are modified to a certain extent, and the PLA required for the production of straws is born.

2 Production process

Production process: The production process of PLA straws is the same as that of ordinary straws. It adopts a one-time extrusion molding process, but the raw material is changed from non-degradable PVC particles to modified degradable PLA particles. Specifically, the production process includes raw material mixing, extrusion molding, cooling and shaping, cutting and testing.

Mixing of raw materials: Because PLA straw particles may have different hardness and size, PLA particles need to be mixed in a bucket before production. You can use a mixing mixer to turn it a few times during the mixing process.

Extrusion molding: Pour the uniformly mixed raw materials into the raw material inlet, and with the help of the extrusion of the screw, the heated and melted PLA particles are extruded through the mold of the machine head under the push of pressure, and become fine and expanded hollow strips , the temperature is very high.

Cooling and shaping: The soft and warm PLA strips do not yet have the basic qualities to be a straw. At this time, it must be led into the sink for cooling and shaping.

There are card slots for shaping in the sink, and the chubby PLA strips can "slim down successfully" after passing through the slots. The temperature is also continuously lowered in the sink, and straw strips with standard diameters are produced.

Cutting: Straw strips are cut to the required length in the cutting machine. The cut straws are pushed out by the machine and are ready for packing.

Inspection: The straws undergo a final inspection before being sent to the beverage store bar. Sampling and testing the inner diameter and thickness of the straws with special measurement equipment, the straws that require temperature resistance also need to be tested for their temperature resistance performance, only a batch of qualified straws that meet the standards!

Henan Techuang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is a modern green and environmental protection enterprise integrating R&D, production, sales and technical services, providing services for biodegradable plastic bags and products. For more information, please visit the official website of Baydeebio: www.baydeebio.com