Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for polymerizing lactide comprising the steps of a) preparing a liquid catalyst formulation comprising a catalyst, an initiator and lactide, and b) contacting the liquid catalyst formulation prepared in step a) with lactide, and polymerizing said lactide in the presence of said liquid catalyst formulation to form polylactide. The invention further provides a liquid catalyst formulation and use thereof for polymerizing lactide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a composition comprising aliphatic polyester by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ester monomers, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing cyclic ester monomers and polymerization catalyst to a reactor, (b) melt polymerizing said cyclic ester monomers to form a composition comprising aliphatic polyester, (c) stabilizing the composition against aliphatic polyester depolymerization by incorporating therein or applying thereto at least one stabilizing agent, thereby obtaining a melt-stable composition, and (d) optionally removing at least a portion of the residual cyclic ester monomers; wherein said stabilizing agent is a compound of formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, m ,R4 , R5, and R6 are as defined in the claims.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a composition comprising polylactide and lactide by ring-opening polymerization of lactide, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing lactide and polymerization catalyst to a reactor, (b) melt polymerizing said lactide to a degree of polymerization of at most 96.0%, to form a composition comprising polylactide and lactide, and (c) removing said composition from the reactor, wherein the whole process is performed at pressures of at least 1 bar, and wherein the composition removed from the reactor is never subjected to a pressure below 1 bar and wherein the composition is not subjected to one of more devolatilization steps.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a non-reactive hot-melt adhesive comprising 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of amorphous thermoplastic resin which is compatible with polylactic acid, wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin is a random copolymer of lactic acid and further reactive monomer, 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of a polylactic acid polymer unit (PLAU) selected from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLAU) and poly-D-lactic acid (PDLAU), the unit having a number average molecular weight of at least 0.75 kg/mol.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a non-reactive hot-melt adhesive comprising 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of amorphous thermoplastic resin which is compatible with polylactic acid, wherein the amorphous thermoplastic resin is a random copolymer of lactic acid and further reactive monomer, 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of a polylactic acid polymer unit (PLAU) selected from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLAU) and poly-D-lactic acid (PDLAU), the unit having a number average molecular weight of at least 0.75 kg/mol.

Abstract: A method for quantification of the amount of impurities in lactide. The method is characterized in that the quantification of the impurities is based on measurements performed on absorptions in the near Infra-Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. With this method, small amounts of impurities like water, free-acid species or both can be determined online in a reaction mixture of lactide in a relatively simple manner. This allows a simple online monitoring of the production process of lactide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for quantification of the amount of lactide in a lactide-based polymeric matrix by means of Infra Red Spectroscopy measurement. According to the invention the quantification is based on measurements performed on absorptions in the near Infra Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The invented method allows a rapid, easy and cheap quantification of lactide in a polymeric matrix, especially in PLA.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing particles including a stereocomplex of poly-D-lactide (PDLA) and poly-L-lactide (PLLA), including the steps of: extruding a melt including 30-70 wt. % of PDLA and 70-30 wt. % of PLLA through an sc-PLA formation zone in a twin-screw extruder, wherein the formation zone is operated at a barrel temperature above the melting temperature of the PDLA and PLLA and below 220° C.; wherein the sc-PLA formation zone is followed by a finishing zone which is operated at a barrel temperature below 160° C.; wherein the finishing zone is followed by the end of the extruder which has a die-head resistance of 0; and recovering solid stereocomplex particles from the end of the extruder. The stereocomplex particles find use in various applications, e.g., in fracking fluids, as filler, as nucleating agent, in particular in the molding of semi-crystalline PLA, or as a starting material for the manufacture of sc-PLA products.

Abstract: A method for quantification of the amount of meso-lactide in a composition containing at least one other lactide stereoisomer with respect to the total amount of lactide stereoisomers in the composition. The quantification is based on measurements performed on absorptions in the Infra-Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Small amounts of meso-lactide in a lactide composition could be measured online in an easy and reproducible manner. Preferably near-IR has been used in this quantification method. The method can be applied with great advance in a lactide production device.

Abstract: A non-reactive hot-melt adhesive including 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of amorphous thermoplastic resin which is compatible with polylactic acid, 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of a polylactic acid polymer unit (PLAU) selected from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLAU) and poly-D-lactic acid (PDLAU), the unit having a number average molecular weight of at least 0.75 kg/mol, and 0.5-20 wt. %, preferably 1-10 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the first PLAU, of a second polylactic acid polymer unit (PLAU) selected from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLAU) and poly-D-lactic acid (PDLAU), the unit having a number average molecular weight of at least 0.75 kg/mol, wherein when the first PLAU is PLLAU, the second PLAU is PDLAU and when the first PLAU is PDLAU, the second PLAU is PLLAU.

Abstract: A non-reactive hot-melt adhesive including 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of amorphous thermoplastic resin which is compatible with polylactic acid, 10-90 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the adhesive, of a polylactic acid polymer unit (PLAU) selected from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLAU) and poly-D-lactic acid (PDLAU), the unit having a number average molecular weight of at least 0.75 kg/mol, and 0.5-20 wt. %, preferably 1-10 wt. %, calculated on the weight of the first PLAU, of a second polylactic acid polymer unit (PLAU) selected from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLAU) and poly-D-lactic acid (PDLAU), the unit having a number average molecular weight of at least 0.75 kg/mol, wherein when the first PLAU is PLLAU, the second PLAU is PDLAU and when the first PLAU is PDLAU, the second PLAU is PLLAU.

Abstract: A method for quantification of the amount of meso-lactide in a composition containing at least one other lactide stereoisomer with respect to the total amount of lactide stereoisomers in the composition. The quantification is based on measurements performed on absorptions in the Infra-Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Small amounts of meso-lactide in a lactide composition could be measured online in an easy and reproducible manner. Preferably near-IR has been used in this quantification method. The method can be applied with great advance in a lactide production device.

Abstract: A method for producing a lactide block copolymer, to a lactide block copolymer and to an article including the lactide block copolymer. In particular, the instant invention relates to an improved lactide block copolymer which may be obtained by providing a polymer of a first lactide monomer including a residual amount of the first monomer, adding and polymerizing a first amount of a second monomer of opposite chirality and subsequently adding and polymerizing a second amount of the second monomer. The resulting lactide block copolymer generally has a high melting point (e.g. from 190 to 250° C.).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing polylactide, comprising the steps of mixing lactide and a metal-coordination compound as polymerization catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture, polymerizing the lactide in liquid phase at a temperature of at least 150° C. to form polylactide in liquid phase and allowing the polylactide to solidify, characterized in that the polymerization catalyst comprises a metal-ligand coordination compound whereby the parent ligand answers the formula (I), whereby R represents an H atom, an aliphatic group, a halide atom or a nitro group and the metal is at least one of Zr and Hf. The invented catalysts show kinetics which is comparable to the kinetics of the known Sn-octoate catalyst.

Abstract: A method for producing a lactide block copolymer, to a lactide block copolymer and to an article including the lactide block copolymer. In particular, the instant invention relates to an improved lactide block copolymer which may be obtained by providing a polymer of a first lactide monomer including a residual amount of the first monomer, adding and polymerizing a first amount of a second monomer of opposite chirality and subsequently adding and polymerizing a second amount of the second monomer. The resulting lactide block copolymer generally has a high melting point (e.g. from 190 to 250° C.).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing poly(2-hydroxyalkanoic acid) included the steps of a) mixing a cyclic diester of a 2-hydroxyalkanoic acid and a polymerization catalyst, b) polymerizing the cyclic diester to form poly(2-hydroxyalkanoic acid) in liquid phase, c) adding a phosphoric acid ester as a catalyst deactivating agent to the liquid phase, d) applying a devolatilization step to the liquid phase, and e) allowing the poly(2-hydroxyalkanoic acid) to solidify. The catalyst deactivating agent is added after the devolatilization step is applied. The method results in an improved melt stability of the manufactured polymer.

Abstract: A method for quantification of the amount of impurities in lactide. The method is characterized in that the quantification of the impurities is based on measurements performed on absorptions in the near Infra-Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. With this method, small amounts of impurities like water, free-acid species or both can be determined online in a reaction mixture of lactide in a relatively simple manner. This allows a simple online monitoring of the production process of lactide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing polylactide, comprising the steps of mixing lactide and a metal-coordination compound as polymerization catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture, polymerizing the lactide in liquid phase at a temperature of at least 150° C. to form polylactide in liquid phase and allowing the polylactide to solidify, characterized in that the polymerization catalyst comprises a metal-ligand coordination compound whereby the parent ligand answers the formula (I), whereby R represents an H atom, an aliphatic group, a halide atom or a nitro group and the metal is at least one of Zr and Hf. The invented catalysts show kinetics which is comparable to the kinetics of the known Sn-octoate catalyst.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing poly(2-hydroxyalkanoic acid) included the steps of a) mixing a cyclic diester of a 2-hydroxyalkanoic acid and a polymerization catalyst, b) polymerizing the cyclic diester to form poly(2-hydroxyalkanoic acid) in liquid phase, c) adding a phosphoric acid ester as a catalyst deactivating agent to the liquid phase, d) applying a devolatilisation step to the liquid phase, and e) allowing the poly(2-hydroxyalkanoic acid) to solidify. The catalyst deactivating agent is added after the devolatilisation step is applied. The method results in an improved melt stability of the manufactured polymer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for quantification of the amount of lactide in a lactide-based polymeric matrix by means of Infra Red Spectroscopy measurement. According to the invention the quantification is based on measurements performed on absorptions in the near Infra Red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The invented method allows a rapid, easy and cheap quantification of lactide in a polymeric matrix, especially in PLA.