NatureWorks PLA Polymer 3051D

Injection Molding Process Guide

PLA (polylactide) polymer 3051D, a
NatureWorks product, is designed
for injection molding applications
where the requirements are clarity
with heat deflection temperatures
lower than 130F (55C). See Table
1 for properties.

Applications
The variety of products made with
PLA 3051D grow every day. Applications include cutlery, cups, plates
and saucers, and
outdoor novelties. And this is
just the beginning.

Processing Temperature Profile

Melt Temperature

390F

Feed Throat

70F

20C

Feed Temperature

330F

165C

Compression Section

380F

195C

Metering Section

400F

205C

Nozzle

400F

205C

Mold

75F

25C

Screw Speed

100-175 rpm

Back Pressure

50-100 psi

Mold Shrinkage

.004 in/in. +/-.001

Note: These are starting points and may need to be optimized.

Table 1 Typical Material & Application Properties

Amorphous vs. Crystalline

Pellets*

ASTM
Method

Specific Gravity

1.24

D792

Melt Index, g/10 min (190C/2.16K)

10-30

D1238

Relative Viscosity

3.0-3.5

PLA Resin
Physical Properties

Crystalline Melt Temperature ( C)

145-155

D3418

Glass Transition Temperature ( C)

55-65

D3417

Clarity

Transparent

Mechanical Properties
Tensile Yield Strength, psi (MPa)

7,000 (48)

Tensile Elongation, %

2.5

D638

Notched Izod Impact, ft-lb/in (J/m)

0.3 (0.16)

D256

* NatureWorks 3051D is delivered as a

D638

Flexural Strength (MPa)

12,000 (83)

D790

Flexural Modulus (MPa)

555,000 (3828)

D790

(1)

Crystalline and amorphous pellets

look significantly different. SemiCrystalline pellets are opaque and
amorphous pellets are transparent
(See figure below.) Please refer to
drying chart on the following page for
instructions on drying amorphous
PLA pellets.

(1)

(General Purpose)

Processing Information
3051D resin can be processed on
conventional injection molding
equipment. The material is stable
in the molten state, provided that the
drying procedures are followed. Mold
flow is highly dependent on melt
temperature. It is recommended to
balance screw speed, back pressure,
and process temperature to control
melt temperature. Injection speed
should be medium to fast.

200C

Typical properties; not to be construed as specifications.

1.

Process Details
Startup and Shutdown
PLA polymer 3051D is not compatible
with a wide variety of polyolefin
resins, and special purging
sequences should be followed:
1.

Clean extruder and bring

temperatures to steady
state with low-viscosity,
general-purpose polystyrene or polypropylene.

2.

Vacuum out hopper system

to avoid contamination.

3.

Introduce PLA polymer into

the extruder at the operating conditions used in Step

crystalline pellet.

4.

Once PLA polymer has

purged, reduce barrel temperatures to desired set
points.

5.

At shutdown, purge machine with high-viscosity

polystyrene or polypropylene.

NatureWorks PLA Polymer 3051D

Oce Temperature Profile
Drying
In-line drying is recommended for
PLA resins. A moisture content of
less than 0.010% (100 ppm) is
recommended to prevent viscosity
degradation. Polymer is supplied in
foil-lined boxes or bags dried to
<250 ppm.The resin should not be
exposed to atmospheric conditions
after drying. Keep the package
sealed until ready to use and
promptly dry and reseal any unused
material. The drying curves for both
amorphous and crystalline resins
are shown to the right.
Note: Amorphous polymer must
be dried below 120F (50C).

Compostability
Composting is a method of waste
disposal that allows organic materials to be recycled into a product
that can be used as a valuable soil
amendment. PLA is made primarily
of polylactic acid, a repeating chain
of lactic acid, which undergoes a
2-step degradation process. First,
the moisture and heat in the compost pile attack the PLA polymer
chains and split them apart, creating smaller polymers, and finally,
lactic acid. Microorganisms in
compost and soil consume the
smaller polymer fragments and
lactic acid as nutrients. Since lactic
acid is widely found in nature, a
large number of organisms metabolize lactic acid. At a minimum,
fungi and bacteria are involved in
PLA degradation. The end result of
the process is carbon dioxide, water and also humus, a soil nutrient.
This degradation process is temperature and humidity dependent.
Regulatory guidelines and standards for composting revolve
around four basic criteria: Material
Characteristics, Biodegradation,
Disintegration, and Ecotoxicity.
Description of the requirements of
these testing can be found in the
appropriate geographical area:

DIN V 54900-1 (Germany), EN

13432 (EU), ASTM D 6400 (USA),
GreenPla (Japan). This grade of
NatureworksTM PLA meets the requirements of these four standards
with limitation of maximum layer
thickness of 1650 m and for coating layers up to 37 m thick

food types and B-H use conditions.

We urge all of our customers to
perform GMP (Good Manufacturing Procedures) when constructing
a package so that it is suitable for
the end use. Again, for any application, should you need further
clarification, please do not hesitate
to contact NatureWorks LLC.

FDA Status

European Status
This grade of NatureWorks PLA
complies with EU Plastics Directive
2002/72/EC, which applies to all
EU member states. The Plastics
Directive is a consolidated version
of the Monomers Directive (Commission Directive 90/128/EEC) and
its first 7 amendments. This
grade of NatureWorks PLA is also
in compliance with "Bedarfgegenstnde Gesetz", which is the
German implementation of the EU
Plastics Directive 2002/72/EC.
Substances used in the manufacturing of this product which are not
yet regulated by EU Plastics Directive 2002/72/EC, as amended, are
in compliance with appropriate EU
national regulations. NatureWorks
LLC would like to draw your attention to the fact that the EUDirective 2002/72/EC, which applies to all

U.S. Status-

This is to advise you that on January 3, 2002 FCN 000178 submitted

by NatureWorks LLC to FDA became effective. This effective
notification is part of list currently
maintained on FDAs website at
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa
-fcn.html. This grade of NatureWorks PLA may therefore be
used in food packaging materials
and, as such, is a permitted component of such materials pursuant
to section 201(s) of the Federal,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and Parts
182, 184, and 186 of the Food Additive Regulations. All additives
and adjuncts contained in the referenced NatureWorksTM PLA
formulation meet the applicable
sections of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The finished polymer is approved for all

EU-Member States, includes a

limit of 10 mg/dm2 of the overall
migration from finished plastic articles into food. In accordance with
EU-Directive 2002/72/EC the migration should be measured on
finished articles placed into contact
with the foodstuff or appropriate
food simulants for a period and at
a temperature which are chosen
by reference to the contact conditions in actual use, according to
the rules laid down in EUDirectives 93/8/EEC (amending
82/711/EEC) and 85/572/EEC
Please note that it is the responsibility of both the manufacturers of
finished food contact articles as
well as the industrial food packers
to make sure that these articles in
their actual use are in compliance
with the imposed specific and
overall migration requirements.
Again, for any application, should
you need further clarification,
please
do not hesitate to contact NatureWorks LLC
Safety and Handling Considerations
Material Safety Data (MSD) sheets for PLA polymers are
available from NatureWorks LLC. MSD sheets are
provided to help customers satisfy their own handling,
safety, and disposal needs, and those that may be
required by locally applicable health and safety
regulations, such as OSHA (U.S.A.), MAK (Germany), or
WHMIS (Canada). MSD sheets are updated regularly;
therefore, please request and review the most current
MSD sheets before handling or using any product.
The following comments apply only to PLA polymers;
additives and processing aids used in fabrication and
other materials used in finishing steps have their own
safe-use profile and must be investigated separately.
Hazards and Handling Precautions
PLA polymers have a very low degree of toxicity and,
under normal conditions of use, should pose no unusual
problems from incidental ingestion, or eye and skin
contact. However, caution is advised when handling,
storing, using, or disposing of these resins, and good
housekeeping and controlling of dusts are necessary for
safe handling of product. Workers should be protected
from the possibility of contact with molten resin during
fabrication. Handling and fabrication of resins can result
in the generation of vapors and dusts that may cause
irritation to eyes and the upper respiratory tract. In dusty
atmospheres, use an approved dust respirator. Pellets or
beads may present a slipping hazard. Good general
ventilation of the polymer processing area is
recommended. At temperatures exceeding the polymer
melt temperature (typically 170C), polymer can release
fumes, which may contain fragments of the polymer,
creating a potential to irritate eyes and mucous
membranes. Good general ventilation should be sufficient

for most conditions. Local exhaust ventilation is recommended for melt operations. Use safety glasses if there
is a potential for exposure to particles which could cause
mechanical injury to the eye. If vapor exposure causes
eye discomfort, use a full-face respirator. No other
precautions other than clean, body-covering clothing
should be needed for handling PLA polymers. Use gloves
with insulation for thermal protection when exposure to the
melt is localized.
Combustibility
PLA polymers will burn. Clear to white smoke is produced
when product burns. Toxic fumes are released under
conditions of incomplete combustion. Do not permit dust
to accumulate. Dust layers can be ignited by spontaneous
combustion or other ignition sources. When suspended
in air, dust can pose an explosion hazard. Firefighters
should wear positive-pressure, self-contained breathing
apparatuses and full protective equipment. Water or water
fog is the preferred extinguishing medium. Foam, alcoholresistant foam, carbon dioxide or dry chemicals may also
be used. Soak thoroughly with water to cool and prevent
re-ignition.
Disposal
DO NOT DUMP INTO ANY SEWERS, ON THE
GROUND, OR INTO ANY BODY OF WATER. For unused
or uncontaminated material, the preferred options include
recycling into the process or sending to an industrial
composting facility, if available; otherwise, send to an
incinerator or other thermal destruction device. For
used or contaminated material, the disposal options
remain the same, although additional evaluation is
required. (For example, in the U.S.A., see 40 CFR, Part
261, Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste.) All
disposal methods must be in compliance with Federal,
State/Provincial, and local laws and regulations.
NOTICE: No freedom from any patent owned by NatureWorks LLC or others is to be inferred. Because use
conditions and applicable laws may differ from one location to another and may change with time, Customer is
responsible for determining whether products and the
information in this document are appropriate for Customers use and for ensuring that Customers
workplace and disposal practices are in compliance with
applicable laws and other governmental enactments.
NatureWorks LLC assumes no obligation or liability for the
information in
this document. NO WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN; ALL
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE ARE EXPRESSLY
EXCLUDED.
Environmental Concerns
Generally speaking, lost pellets are not a problem in
the environment except under unusual circumstances
when they enter the marine environment. They are
benign in terms of their physical environmental impact,
but if ingested by waterfowl or aquatic life, they may
mechanically cause adverse effects. Spills should be
minimized, and they should be cleaned up when they
happen. Plastics should not be discarded into the ocean
or any other body of water.
Product Stewardship
NatureWorks LLC has a fundamental duty to all those
that make and use our products, and for the environment
in which we live. This duty is the basis for our Product
Stewardship philosophy, by which we assess the health
and environmental information on our products and their
intended use, then take appropriate steps to protect the
environment and the health of our employees and the
public.
Customer Notice
NatureWorks LLC encourages its customers and potential
users of its products to review their applications for such
products from the standpoint of human health and
environmental quality. To help ensure our products are
not used in ways for which they were not intended or
tested, our personnel will assist customers in dealing with
ecological and product safety considerations. Your sales
representative can arrange the proper contacts.
NatureWorks LLC literature, including Material Safety Data
sheets, should be consulted prior to the use of the
companys products. These are available from your Nature
representative.

NOTICE REGARDING PROHIBITED USE

RESTRICTIONS: NatureWorks LLC doeses not recommend any of its products, including samples, for use as:
Components of, or packaging for, tobacco products;
Components of products where the end product is intended for human or animal consumption; In any
application that is intended for any internal contact with

human body fluids or body tissues; As a critical component in any medical device that supports or sustains
human life; In any product that is designed specifically for
ingestion or internal use by pregnant women; and in any
application designed specifically to promote or interfere
with human reproduction.

For additional information in the U.S. and

Canada,
call toll-free 1-877-423-7659
In Europe, call 31-(0)35-699-1344
In Japan, call 81-33-285-0824
15305 Minnetonka Blvd.,
Minnetonka, MN 55345

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trademarks of NatureWorks LLC
Copyright 2005 NatureWorks LLC