Rafael A. Auras & Loong-Tak Lim 
Poly(lactic acid) [PDF ebook] 
Synthesis, Structures, Properties, Processing, and Applications

This book describes the synthesis, properties, and processing methods of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), an important family of degradable plastics. As the need for environmentally-friendly packaging materials increases, consumers and companies are in search for new materials that are largely produced from renewable resources, and are recyclable. To that end, an overall theme of the book is the biodegradability, recycling, and sustainability benefits of PLA. The chapters, from a base of international expert contributors, describe specific processing methods, spectroscopy techniques for PLA analysis, and and applications in medical items, packaging, and environmental use.

Про автора

Rafael Auras is an Assistant Professor in the School of
Packaging at Michigan State University. He has authored or
coauthored more than sixty publications. His research areas include
mass transfer in polymers, biodegradable and compostable polymers,
life cycle assessment, packaging waste, and sustainable packaging
systems.

Loong-Tak Lim is an Associate Professor in the Department of
Food Science at the University of Guelph. Dr. Lim is author and
coauthor of more than twenty journal articles, a holder of three
patents, and has given twenty-one conference presentations.

Susan Selke is Professor and Associate Director in the School of
Packaging at Michigan State University. Her research activities and
interests include life-cycle analysis, biodegradable and biobased
plastics, plastics composites, active packaging, microcellular
foaming of plastics, plastics recycling, and related areas. She has
authored or coauthored more than 170 publications, including nine
books.

Hideto Tsuji is a Professor in the Department of Ecological
Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering at Toyohashi University
of Technology. He has authored or coauthored more than a hundred
academic papers, has edited three books, and holds twelve
patents.