Lactic Acid-Sustainable Raw Material for Biodegradable Hot Melt Adhesive: Review

Abstract

Currently, due to scarcity of hydrocarbon resources and the extensive use of water based, solvent based and hot melt adhesives in wood bonding in furniture industries and packaging industries that demand recyclability, compostability and bio-degradability, recently attention has been concentrated to making these formulations completely bio-based, sustainable and biodegradable. Biodegradable hot melt adhesives (HMAs) prepared from natural sources have a potential for use in furniture and packaging industries because of an increase in awareness of environmental issues, the replacement of conventional petroleum-derived hydrocarbon raw materials by renewable, biodegradable and sustainable materials has developed. In terms of environmental issues, such as climate crisis due to an increase of carbon dioxide emission, attempts have been made to produce HMAs using non-hydrocarbon resins, such as polylactic acid (PLA)-based resins, containing no petroleum as a raw material. Polylactic acid was prepared by self-condensation reactions of lactic acid or by lactide ring opening polymerisation, and used for packaging materials, sanitary pads, diapers etc., especially adhesives owing to its excellent processability and the excellent mechanical properties of its HMAs products. Therefore, recently the use of PLA materials as a substitute for non-biodegradable hydrocarbon-based polymers can be considered to be environmentally favourable. Here, we discussed the various uses of PLA as a sustainable and bio-degradable and sustainable hot melt adhesive.