Poly lactic acid market research report

RITMIR030: Polylactic Acid – A Market Insight Report, July 2013
© RI Technologies - www.researchimpact.com Sample Page - 1
Polylactic acid market size
Scope of the Study
This study gives an insight into global Polylactic Acid (PLA) value and volume market. The report also
provides an overview of the global biodegradable polymers and lactic acid. Market analytics by Form, by
Application is also provided in this niche report. The market is divided by Form into Films & Sheets, Coating,
Fibers and Other; by Application into Food, Textile, Medical and Other. The global PLA market is further
divided by Food Industry (Food Packaging, Kitchenware and Other), Textile Industry (Apparel,
Bedding/Upholstery), Medical Industry (Surgical Dressing, Orthopedic Biomaterials, Stents, Organ Tissue
Engineering, and Other) and Other (Vehicle Parts and Automotive/Aerospace, Electrical Appliance
Components/ Electronic Goods, Packaging (Other than Food) and other).
Predictions and estimations both in value (US$) and Volume (Metric Tons) for the analysis period 2005-
2015 are also illustrated by geographic regions encompassing the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and
Rest of World (RoW). Acreage of major agricultural crops as raw materials
Business profiles of 18 (Lactic Acid Producers), 18 (Polylactic Acid Producers) and 23 (End Users) competitor
companies are discussed in the report. The report serves as a guide to global Polylactic Acid market, as it
covers more than 50 companies that are engaged in Polylactic Acid products, technology, and R&D.
Information related to recent product releases, product developments, partnerships, collaborations, and
mergers and acquisitions is also covered in the report.
The Polylactic Acid report is an ideal research tool providing strategic business intelligence to the corporate
sector. This report may help strategists, investors, Polylactic acid and bioplastics companies, and
biotechnology companies in--
Gauging Competitive Intelligence
Identifying Key Growth Areas and Opportunities
Understanding Geographic Relevance to Product
Knowing Regional Market Sizes and Growth Opportunities and Restraints
Keeping Tab on Emerging Technologies
Equity Analysis
Tapping New Markets
Analytics and data presented in this report pertain to several parameters such as –
Global And Regional Market Sizes, Market Shares, Market Trends
Product (Global And Regional) Market Sizes, Market Shares, Market Trends
Technology Trends
Corporate Intelligence
Key Companies By, Brands, Products
Consumer Behavioral Patterns
Other Strategic Business Affecting Data

Research Methodology
RI Technologies publishes business intelligence reports by going through a cycle of diligent research and
analysis activity. Research is done using both online and offline resources. The study outline of this report is
sketched on the following lines – global market analysis, regional market analysis, product segmentation,
global and regional market analysis by product segment, market trends, M&A, R&D, competitive landscape,
technology trends, and other key drivers. Current data helps in analyzing the future of the industry and is
also helpful for making market evaluations, and estimating the market size for the future.
This report is uniquely researched and the methodology includes:
Scope of Study
Product Definitions
Segmental Analysis
Regional Analysis
Exclusive Data Analytics
Corporate Intelligence
Feedback
Right from concept to final compilation of this report, both primary and secondary research methods are
applied. We have provided exclusive feedback forms/pre-release questionnaires for this report to use the
information for authentication of our own findings. Secondary research includes government publications,
investment research reports, web based surveys, website information of both companies and markets, and
other offline resources such as print publications and CDs.
Our compilation of easy to navigate PDF reports are essential value addition resources for leading and
growing companies.

II. REPORT SYNOPSIS
Biodegradable Polymers
Large macromolecules formed by the chemical linkages of monomers – capable of being decomposed by
micro organisms or any other biological means are refereed as biodegradable polymers. At present day,
researchers are more interested in natural, synthetic and biosynthetic polymers which are biodegradable
and environmental friendly.
Biopolymers have wide range of applications in medical and pharmaceutical industries. Important group of
the biodegradable polymers include poly –hydroxy alkonates [PHB & PHV class]
Bioplastics
Bioplastics are a type of plastics made from biological materials like, vegetable oils or recycling substances,
namely; cornstarch or starch made from peas or shrubs, whereas fossil-fuel plastics are obtained from
petroleum products. Bioplastics are also known as ‘organic plastics’. Only a few bioplastics are meant to
biodegrade; others are all non- biodegradable.
Uses of Bioplastics
Both biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics find variety of applications not only as consumables
but also in a number of industries. For example, throwaway articles, like cups, plates, bowls, other items of
cutlery, disposable bags that can be used as compost along with food refuse and tree leaves and packaging
and catering materials are all made of biodegradable bioplastics. In addition, egg trays, containers for fruit,
vegetables and meat, and bottles for non-alcoholic beverages and for dairy products, wrappers for fruit and
vegetables are produced from bioplastics.
On the other hand, Cell phone coverings, carpet fibers, car interiors, fuel lines and plastic pipes are
manufactured from non-biodegradable bioplastics. Other potential innovative application of non-
biodegradable bioplastics includes the development of cables for transmission of electric power. The
objective here is to produce articles from ‘sustainable resources’, that is, whose use does not exhaust its
supply, rather than aim at ‘biodegradability’
Bioplastics are less dependent on fossil-fuel, like oil, gas and coal for carbon in comparison with petroleum
based plastics (petroplastic) and the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is also much lower
when it ‘biodegrades. This makes Bioplastics hold more promise for applications in consumer as well as
industrial sector. Bioplastics considerably help in reducing the dangerous solid waste material left behind
by petroleum-based plastics over very long period. In view of its distinctive advantages compared to
conventional plastics, bioplastics throw up exciting possibilities in packaging technology and other
industries.
However, bioplastic industry is still dependent on oil for irrigation of crops, running agricultural equipment
to manufacture manure and insecticides, transportation of agricultural produce and operating machinery
for manufacture of bioplastics. This dependence on oil can come down largely if renewable energy is used

for bioplastics manufacturing
Polylactic Acid (PLA) – A Next Generation Bioplastic
Lactic acid is the key agent used for developing Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), the biodegradable ploymer. The
Lactic acid which appears in L form is a natural 3-carbon chiral acid and is dissolvable in water to a greater
extent. Lactic acid is employed in foods as an acidulant, and is turned to esters and formed as green solvent
for cleaning, paints, coatings and metal.
Sources that are plant-based give rise to the material that is known as poly-lactic acid or PLA. The plat-
based sources could be the following;
a) Potatoes are presently under consideration and seem to have the potential.
b) Sugar cane.
c) Wheat and
d) Corn.
Segmentation of Polylactic Acid Market
Exhibit 1. Segmentation of Global Polylactic Acid Market by Application and by Form
Form Application
Films & Sheets Food
Coating Textile
Fibers Medical
*Other Other
© RIT, 2013
Exhibit 2. Segmentation by Type Application for Food, Textile, Medical and Other
Food Textile Medical Other
Food Packaging Apparel Surgical Dressing Vehicle Parts and Automotive/Aerospace
Kitchenware Bedding/ Upholstery Orthopedic Biomaterials Electrical Appliance Components/
Electronic Goods
Other Other Stents Packaging (Other than Food)
Organ Tissue Culture Other
Other
© RIT, 2013

Global Market Analysis
The global Polylactic Acid volume market is predicted to reach XX.XX thousand metric tons by 2020 at a
CAGR of XX.XX %, from an estimated about XX.XX thousand metric tons in 2012.
Exhibit 3. Polylactic Acid - Global Volume Market Estimations and Predictions (2005-2020) in Metric Tons
Year Volume
2005 XX.XX
2006 XX.XX
2007 XX.XX
2008 XX.XX
2009 XX.XX
2010 XX.XX
2011 XX.XX
2012 XX.XX
2013 XX.XX
2014 XX.XX
2015 XX.XX
2016 XX.XX
2017 XX.XX
2018 XX.XX
2019 XX.XX
2020 XX.XX
CAGR% XX.XX
© RIT, 2013
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
US$ Million

Exhibit 4. List of Global Major Companies
Company Name Region Website
BioCor LLC USA biocor.org
Cargill, Inc. USA www.cargill.com
Sulzer Chemtech AG Switzerland www.sulzerchemtech.com
Purac The Netherlands www.purac.com
Wei Mon Industry Co., Ltd. Taiwan www.weimon.com.tw
Futerro Belgium www.furterro.com
Anhui BBCA & GALACTIC Lactic Acid Co., Ltd. China www.bglactic.com
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Germany www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
More….
© RIT, 2013

Value Analysis by Form
Polylactic Acid Films and Sheets holds about XX.XX of the total Polylactic Acid market value at US$ XX.XX
million in 2012. The market for Polylactic acid Fibers is projected to increase at the highest CAGR of XX.XX %
to reach US$ XX.XX billion by 2020.
Exhibit 5. Polylactic Acid by Form Type- Global Value Market Estimations and Predictions (2005-2020) in
US$ Million for Films & Sheets, Coating, Fibers and Other
Year/Form Type Films & Sheet Coating Fibers Other Total
2005 XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX
CAGR% XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX
© RIT Figures, 2013
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
US$ Million
Films & Sheet Coating Fibers Other

Advantages and Disadvantages of Corn-based Plastic PLA
A plastic substitute that is made from fermented plant starch normally corn is Polylactic acid (PLA). This is
now extremely accepted as a substitute to the conventional petroleum-based plastics. There are a number
of countries and states now that are doing what other countries like China, Ireland, South Africa, Uganda
and San Francisco are doing in terms of prohibiting plastic grocery bags which is to be blamed for what is
known as “white pollution” present all over the World and in the meantime PLA is all set to substitute as a
feasible as well as a biodegradable solution.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions with the use of PLA
In Spite of a lot of issues, PLA still holds many advantages
PLA cannot be combined with other plastics during recycling
A number of PLA products are made up of GM corn
Green-minded users could favor other options to plastics

III. MARKET DYNAMICS
Manufacturing Cost
Exhibit 6. United States – PLA Raw Material Prices -Corn Starch, Dextrose, Lactic Acid, Sugar Beet & Other
in US$/Metric Ton
Raw Material/Year 2005 2010
Corn Starch XX.XX XX.XX
Dextrose XX.XX XX.XX
Lactic Acid XX.XX XX.XX
Sugar Beet XX.XX XX.XX
Exhibit 7. PLA Manufacturing Equipment Cost in US$ Million – Estimates for 2010
Company Total Equipment Cost (US$) Production Capacity
Company 1 XX.XX XX.XX

Exhibit 8. Raw Material Input / PLA Output Quantity in Metric Tons – Estimates for 2010
Raw Material Input Quantity PLA Output Quantity
Corn XX.XX XX.XX
Wheat XX.XX XX.XX
Sugar Beet XX.XX XX.XX
Sugar Cane XX.XX XX.XX
Dextrose XX.XX XX.XX
Lactic Acid XX.XX XX.XX
Other XX.XX XX.XX

Global Market Analysis
The global Polylactic acid volume market is predicted to reach XX.XX thousand metric tons in 2020 at a
CAGR% of XX.XX %, from an estimated XX.XX thousand metric tons in 2012.
Europe is estimated as the largest market for Polylactic Acid in the global market with an estimated volume
of XX.XX thousand metric tons and accounts a market share of XX.XX % in 2012.
Exhibit 9. Polylactic Acid - Global Volume Market Estimations and Predictions (2005-2020) in Metric Tons
for Europe, USA, Japan, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World
Year/Region Europe USA Japan Asia-Pacific RoW Total
2005 XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX
CAGR% XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX XX.XX
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
US$ Million
Europe USA Japan Asia-Pacific RoW

IV. PRODUCT/TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
Corn – Source for Poly Lactic Acid
Corn is available and cultivated worldwide and is one of the primary food product which is either used
directly or in processed form. Corn products are used both by the humans and animals as well. Processed
corns are used to make consumer food products such as corn starch lysine and high fructose corn syrup or
industrial products such as polylactic acid (PLA) and ethanol.
Corn is processed using two techniques namely "dry" milling and "wet" milling. Corn is primarily used as a
feed livestock and also finds application in consumer food and industrial products such as corn oil, starches,
sweeteners, beverages, fuel ethanol and industrial alcohol. Corn is not only used in food products but also
processed and employed in various day to day products such as toothpaste, cosmetics, adhesives, shoe
polish and others.
The US is the top corn producing countries worldwide. Other leading corn producing countries include
Brazil, China, Mexico and the 25 countries of the European Union. The corn also finds application in the
pharmaceutical sector as most of the countries cultivate genetically modified corn for herbicide and pest
resistance applications.
Manufacturing Process - PLA
Starch is the starting material for polylactic acid which is obtained from a renewable source like corn. Corn
is crushed and the starch is extracted. Then unrefined dextrose is processed from the starch. Fermentation
then turns the dextrose into lactic acid which is a process that is similar to the one that is made use of by
beer and wine producers. For the lactic acid to be converted into a polymer plastic there is some
specialized chemistry that needs to be used. It is possible by the following techniques.
Polycondensation of Lactic acid
The polycondensation process designed by Carothers, an innovator of PLA in 1932 removes the water
through the process of condensation and through application of solvent in a temperature and high vacuum.
This process finds difficulties in the removal of water and impurities thus are able to generate low and
intermediate molecular weight polymers. The process involves in various drawbacks such as large sized
reactors, evaporation needs, solvent recovery and improved color as well as recemization. Almost
maximum of operations is carried out through ring-opening polymerization. Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals
patented an azeotropic distillation via a high boiling solvent to turn the removal of water in the direct
esterification process for deriving high molecular weight PLA.
Ring-opening polymerization
Ring-opening polymerization is considered to be the appropriate technique for generation of high
molecular weight polymer. This method is being used widely following the advancements in the process of
fermentation of corn dextrose which resulted in minimizing the cost of lactic acid production at greater

extent. Sugar fermentation results in cost effective chiral lactic acid production. Chiral molecules persists as
stereoisomers or ‘mirror images’ where as lactic acid persists as the L- or D-stereoisomer.
Lactic acid, which is synthesized chemically results in deriving of racemic mixture (50% D and 50% L), the
nature of fermentation is though very definite, thus allowing the production of a key stereoisomer. The
lactic acid generated from includes L-isomer (99.5%) and D-isomer (0.5%). The process follows removal of
water under placid settings eliminating solvent so as to generate a cyclic intermediate dimmer also known
as lactide. The monomer is sooner followed for purification under the process of vacuum distillation. For
ring-opening polymerization of the dimer heat is required, thus eliminating solvent requirements. Different
kinds of molecular weights are derived by controlling dimmer purity.
The cyclic lactide dimer production leads in the generation of three potential forms namely the D,D-lactide
(D-lactide), L,Llactide (L-lactide) and L,D- or D,L-lactide (meso-lactide). Among this Meso-lactide includes
unique properties compared to D- and L-lactide; D- and Llactide which are optically active unlike meso. The
lactide stream is divided into a low D-lactide stream and a high D-/meso-lactide stream prior to
polymerization.
A group of polymers including array of molecular weights are generated by ring-opening polymerization of
the optically active types of lactide by altering the level and the sequence of D-lactide in the polymer
backbone. Polymers including high L-lactide levels are effective to generate crystalline polymers, but, the
higher D-lactide materials (>15%) are vague in nature. Lactide purity control results in the production of
different molecular weights. In addition to it, the product properties can be altered by altering the level and
sequence of D-lactic units in the polymer backbone. The changes influences melt behavior, barrier
properties, ductility and thermal properties.
Processing Technologies
PLA FIBERS
Cargill Dow Polymers (CDP), a US based company manufactures PLA using by polymerizing lactic acid
developed from corn starch. PLA is followed through melt-spinning process and turned into fibers. The melt
spinning technology for developing PLA fibers in contrast with solvent-spinning method is a cost effective
process both financially and environmentally. PLA fibers developed using melt spinning technology aids in
including diverse features required for wide range of application.
The polymerization process for developing PLA is followed through acid and alcohol condensation to
develop polyester. PLA and PET include similar features and these are required to be dehydrated as there is
a possibility of melting which could result in hydrolysis. These polymers are then followed through the
process of melt extrusion to form fibers and are stretched for strengthening them.
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Research – As Good as the Methodology is!
 Gauging Competitive Intelligence
 Identifying Key Growth Areas and Opportunities
 Understanding Geographic Relevance to Product
 Knowing Regional Market Sizes and Growth Opportunities and Restraints
 Keeping Tab on Emerging Technologies
 Equity Analysis
 Tapping New Markets
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Poly lactic acid market research report

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