PLA Luminy® L175

PLA extruded filament for FDM/FFF 3D printing, single-serve capsules for coffee machine, injection molded serviceware, food serviceware

FOOD CONTACT STATUS: In the European Union, Luminy® PLA polymers are compliant with EU commission regulation 10/2011 of 14 January 2011 (and amendments) on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Lactic acid is considered a dual use substance, since lactic acid is approved as a food additive (additive number E270). There are no SMLs or SML(T)s for the ingredients used to produce Luminy® PLA. The regulation does include an migration limit of 10 mg/dm2 on the overall migration from finished plastic articles into food. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer of the final product, when intended as a food contact product, to determine that the use of the product is safe and also suitable for the intended application. While it is Total Corbion PLA’s conclusion that the above mentioned polymers are permitted, it is the final product which must meet the given regulations and the manufacturer should take responsibility to check if the final product is in compliance with these regulations.

In the United States of America, Luminy® PLA as supplied by Total Corbion PLA has been evaluated and was found to be suitable for use in food contact applications. On 30 November 2018, FCN 001926 as applied for by Total Corbion PLA to the FDA became effective. It is included in the list of effective notifications for FCNs on the website of the FDA. The evaluation performed was in line with the requirements of Section 201(s) and Section 409 of the Federal, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and Parts 182, 184 and 186 of the Food Additive Regulations. Luminy® PLA neat resin is approved for all food types and conditions of use B through H.

Crystalline White

NOTICE REGARDING USE RESTRICTIONS: Unless specifically agreed to in writing, Total Corbion PLA will not knowingly market any product into any of the following commercial or developmental applications:

PLA homopolymers can be processed on conventional extrusion equipment and can be used as neat resin or as part of a compound to further optimize overall material properties. It is recommended to use a general purpose screw with L/D ratios between 24 and 32. Pre-drying of the resin is recommended.

Start-up and shutdown:

Typical settings, may require optimization:

MOISTURE & PRE-DRYING: It is recommended to dry Luminy® L175 from the packaging for 4-6 hours at 100°C. Drying of semi-crystalline PLA homopolymer can be performed in a desiccant hot air dryer, with a dew point of -40°C or less. It is recommended to reduce the moisture content before melt processing to a level less than 250ppm and preferably less than 100 ppm, measured by e.g. Karl-Fischer or Brabender aquatrac method. Predrying is in particular important prior to injection molding, film and sheet production. Moisture causes hydrolysis of the PLA homopolymer during melt processing, resulting in reduced mechanical performance in the final part.