Polylactic acid: Synthesis, properties and technical and biomedical applications

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the common aliphatic polyesters synthesized from lactic acid monomer (2-hydroxyl propionic acid) by fermentation or chemical synthesis. Due to its high strength, high modulus, biodegradability, compostability and well-known safety profile, PLA becomes a very useful material for both fundamental researches and practical applications.