Conventional plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene are derived from petroleum refining, thus classified as petroleum-based plastics. The initial raw materials for PLA and polyhydroxyalkanoates come from plant-based starches or sugars, making them biobased plastics. Depending on whether the initial raw material of a plastic is petroleum-based or biobased, and whether the plastic is biodegradable, existing plastics can be divided into four major categories. 

PLA is a polyester material and a promising new material among biobased materials. Its raw materials come from natural biomass and have fully biodegradable properties. It can be utilized by microorganisms in nature, ultimately producing carbon dioxide and water, with no environmental pollution. PLA exhibits excellent mechanical and processing properties similar to those of existing plastics such as PET and polystyrene. Additionally, PLA has good biocompatibility, being non-toxic and non-irritating. It can be biodegraded and absorbed, and broken down by enzymes or degraded into small molecules and excreted from the body. 

The characteristic of polylactic acid is its excellent biodegradability. The biodegradability of PLA allows it to decompose into lactic acid in nature, which then hydrolyzes into carbon dioxide and water. Through photosynthesis, these elements are converted back into starch, forming a natural cycle that promotes ecological balance. Replacing conventional plastics with PLA can address the global issue of white pollution that plagues the world today. It is one of the key paths for global plastic pollution control. Vigorously developing polylactic acid materials is an important guarantee for the successful implementation of the country's "plastic restriction order". 

The Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as the only research institute in China that has undergone large-scale industrial verification for PLA synthesis technology, has more than 20 years of research, development, and industrialization experience. In recent years, the Institute has conducted in-depth research and development and pilot testing to address a series of key technological and equipment issues in the PLA industry, such as the high-temperature racemization and carbonization of lactide during production, the high energy consumption and low purity in lactide purification, and the difficulties in mass and heat transfer due to the high viscosity of the polymerization reaction system. As a result, the institute has taken a leading position globally in PLA material industrialization process technology. 

The Company has established a cooperative relationship with the team of Academician Chen Xuesi from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and annually invests RMB 10 million in industrialization and applied technology development. At the same time, PLIITH, the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Wuhu Municipal People's Government jointly build the "Wuhu Biobased Materials Joint Innovation Center", which will comprehensively focus on the technological research and development and industrialization of common technical difficulties, frontier technologies, green manufacturing, and product applications in the biobased materials industry. 

With lactic acid fermentation, high-purity lactide preparation, and lactide polymerization to produce polylactic acid (PLA) with high chemical purity, high optical purity, and narrow molecular weight distribution as the core technologies, the Company has fully mastered the entire "sugar-lactic acid-lactide-PLA" industry chain technology, achieving domestic and international technological leadership in the field of PLA. 

Achieving fully automated production throughout the process, the project's production line has the capability to produce multiple grades on a single line, allowing for switching between resin grades based on production schedules. The production line can also achieve online addition of corresponding catalysts and additives, reducing human interference, resulting in higher efficiency, better product quality, and greater stability.

Deployments have been made in areas such as the development of efficient compound catalytic systems, new methods for lactide synthesis, rapid crystallization PLA resins, and special resins for stereocrystalline PLA, forming a multi-level technical reserve that will accumulate and deliver significant results. 

PLIITH Biotechnology Co., Ltd., founded in 2021 as a joint venture with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, has a total investment of RMB 8.6 billion, with a planned land are of 1,800 mu and a planned PLA production capacity of 350,000 tons. Among these plans, the first phase of a 75,000 tons/year lactic acid and 50,000 tons/year PLA smart factory project officially started construction in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, in 2021 and is currently undergoing on-load testing and commissioning. 

PLIITH Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is an enterprise that specializes in the technology development, production and processing, and industrial promotion of high-purity lactic acid, lactide, and PLA. The Company aims to create a comprehensive chain layout from "deep processing of agricultural products - microbial fermentation - fine chemical engineering - high molecular new materials - new material application." The Company focuses on the research, development, production, sales, and technical services of biobased materials, committed to becoming a global leader in polylactic acid (PLA) materials.

The PLIITH's PLA project, based on two decades of dedicated research by the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, has overcome the synthesis and manufacturing processes and equipment capabilities for lactide and PLA. It has solved a series of technological challenges including dehydration, oligomerization, cracking, distillation, polymerization, and degassing. Using the experience gained from ton-scale production, it has constructed a new-generation pilot production line and completed the standard compliance testing and industry certification of PLIITH's PLA pilot materials. 

PLIITH will always uphold the development philosophy of "Green, Innovative, Collaborative and Win-Win", working together with industry peers in the biodegradable materials supply chain to contribute to the healthy development of the biodegradable materials industry and fulfill its mission of creating a naturally beautiful environment. 

PLIITH PLA resin has the characteristics of high optical purity, high crystallization rate, and high melt strength that make PLA suitable for rigid packaging films such as biaxially oriented films and cast films.

PLIITH PLA has good flowability, high melting point and crystallinity. It can be used in heat-resistant injection molding products or modified for heat-resistant injection and vacuum forming products.

PLIITH PLA resin has the characteristics of high optical purity, high crystallization rate and high melt strength, which can meet the process requirements of film drawing, especially the biaxial stretching film process.

PLIITH PLA can be processed into efficient filtration materials using melt-blown technology.

3D Printing: High crystallization rate and melt stability make PLIITH PLA suitable for FDM 3D printing, with the potential to create heat-resistant products through appropriate environmental heating processes. 

PLIITH PLA can be processed through extrusion, sheet extrusion, melting, stretching, spinning, film blowing, injection molding, blow molding, vacuum forming and other molding processes, with applications across various fields.