8. Conclusion

Most manufacturers are currently working on the development of second- or even third-generation sugars, which in the near future will make it possible to produce PLA without using food crops. Another avenue of research, adopted by Natureworks in particular, involves using natural gas as a raw material, as this is an abundant and relatively inexpensive resource.

What's more, optimum use of PLA's unique properties, such as its excellent optical properties and its properties as a hydrolysable solid or piezoelectric material, will enable the development of new, unprecedented applications, such as intelligent packaging.

It's worth mentioning that PLA is a relatively young polymer, with around a decade of industrial production behind it. As with other industrial polymers, the next developments will most certainly come via modification of PLA's...