Modification and Application of Polylactic Acid

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biobased product and compostable polymer material. As awareness of plastic pollution grows, PLA, as a biodegradable plastic, is regarded as a key material to replace traditional plastics. In recent years, PLA has been studied for a variety of applications. However, the inherent drawbacks of pure PLA, such as poor heat resistance, low degradation rate, brittleness, and poor toughness, make it difficult to meet practical production and application requirements. Therefore, effective modification strategies for PLA have received significant attention. This paper reviews the main modification strategies for PLA polymers in recent years, including copolymerization, blending, and the use of plasticizers, as well as the applications of modified PLA in packaging, 3D printing, and biomedical fields. The study finds that PLA has been widely studied and applied in various fields, but there are still challenges remain, such as the high cost of PLA, especially in the medical field. There are also limitations in mechanical properties, and constraints in precision and functionality in 3D printing applications.