Poly‐Lactic Acid: Production, Applications, Nanocomposites, and Release Studies

Environmental, economic, and safety challenges have provoked packaging scientists and producers to partially substitute petrochemical-based polymers with biodegradable ones. The general purpose of this review is to introduce poly-lactic acid (PLA), a compostable, biodegradable thermoplastic made from renewable sources. PLA properties and modifications via different methods, like using modifiers, blending, copolymerizing, and physical treatments, are mentioned; these are rarely discussed together in other reviews. Industrial processing methods for producing different PLA films, wrappings, laminates, containers (bottles and cups), are presented. The capabilities of PLA for being a strong active packaging…