Sulzer has been awarded a contract to deliver a production plant based on Sulzer's proprietary polylactic acid (PLA) technology. The facility, with a capacity of more than 10,000 tons per year, will produce high-performance PLA for a broad range of applications. Commercial production is expected to start in the second half of 2014.
Both parties have agreed to leverage Sulzer's technology and pilot facilities to support the customer in the development of innovative solutions for the Asian polymer market. Sulzer's proprietary technology allows the continuous production of high-performance PLA grades with very low residual monomer levels and a wide possible viscosity range.
The new PLA produced with Sulzer technology withstands temperatures as high as 180 degrees Celsius. Applications in the automotive, electronics and the textile industry based on this new type of material are currently under development.
To further facilitate the PLA market development, Sulzer has recently started-up its own PLA pilot plant for 1,000 tons per year in Switzerland.
For more information, visit www.sulzer.com.
