Characteristics

Affordability
Lapol® 108 resin is less expensive than other plasticizers used for increasing the toughness, flexibility and processabilty of polylactic acid (PLA) and other polymers.  Since Lapol® 108 is miscible with PLA, no additional costly compatiblizing additives are needed when using Lapol® 108, thereby reducing the overall cost of improving toughness, flexibility and increasing elongation.

Renewability & Sustainability
Lapol® 108 bioplasticizer resin is predominantly plant derived.

Biodegradability & Compostability
Lapol® 108 bioplasticizer resin is compostable and is biodegradable under composting conditions in about 35 days based on the ASTM D6400, EN 13432 & ISO 17088 standards.

Flexibility & Toughness
Lapol® 108 bioplasticizer resin increases flexibilty and toughness with little sacrifice in modulus.  When Lapol® 108 is added at 5%-10% in PLA an extruded sheet can be folded over without cracking or the brittleness typical of neat PLA . 
See the toughness graph.

Maintains PLA Melt Viscosity
In order to compound a high mineral content into PLA, it is often necessary to increase the processing temperature to get a homogeneous and thoroughly mixed compound, this results is a very low melt viscosity which induces processing difficulty. When Lapol® 108 bioplasticizer resin is compounded into PLA resins, at levels as low as 5%, it enables very high mineral content loading without the loss of melt viscosity.


Clarity
Lapol® 108 bioplasticizer resin is miscible with PLA and only minimally affects the clarity of PLA. Haze does develop with higher concentrations, but one can still see through the plastic. Many applications will need about 5%-10% concentration of Lapol® 108 and therefore, only a little haze should be expected.
 
Compatibility
Lapol® 108 bioplasticizer is compatible and miscible with PLA up to 20%. Unlike compounding with 100% petroleum-based aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters (AAC), there is no need to add additional costly compatibilizers or processing aids for improved compatibilization. Since PLA and Lapol® are "like polymers" they are very compatible in compounding so there is no die swell out of the compounder, a common phenomenon with petroleum based plasticizers.
Download Compatibility SEM Micrograph

Availability
Lapol® 108 resin is made in America in top production facilities with virtually no limitation on production capacity.

"Heat-ability" NEW LAPOL® HDT - NOW AVAILABLE from pilot production
The new Lapol® HDT additive for increasing the heat deflection temperature of PLA is now in pilot production and is available in granule form in evaluation quantitites.  For interested parties, please email us at info@lapol.net.

Click here to read the article in the September 2010 Edition of Agricultural Magazine, Helping Earth-Friendly, Corn-Based Plastics Take the Heat.