Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources. While PLA exhibits relatively high tensile strength and stiffness compared with many commodity polymers, its ...

Anhydride additive speeds up polylactic acid breakdown and could make it possible to compost the plastic at home ...

Bio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics.

DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers is generally credited with synthesizing polylactic acid (PLA) in 1932 — admittedly, he is best known for his research that led to the development of nylon — but it ...

The world's most versatile 3D printing filament has its limits.