In the existing
polylactic acid production,
lactide is firstly prepared from
lactic acid or purchased, and then
lactide is subjected to ring-opening
polymerization by using a relatively expensive catalyst such as
metal zinc elementary substance, so that
polylactic acid is prepared in two steps. According to the scheme, food-grade
zinc acetate dihydrate is used as a catalyst for catalyzing
lactic acid to accelerate
dehydration condensation reaction, and
lactic acid obtained by fermenting lactic acid
bacteria after saccharification of
starch is subjected to one-step
catalysis is heated, stirred and polycondensed at a proper temperature to prepare
polylactic acid. The whole process is free of disordered interference reaction, and all reactant products belong to
food grade, are non-toxic and harmless, and are ecological and environment-friendly. Complex and expensive instruments, equipment and reagents are not needed.
Zinc acetate dihydrate is easily dissolved in a lactic acid
aqueous solution, ionized
zinc ions have two valence states of + 1 valence and + 2 valence, an empty
electron orbital and a unique Ar 3d10
electronic structure and have strong
electronegativity, the + 1 valence zinc ions lose or obtain one
electron, the surfaces of the zinc ions have rich catalytic active sites, and the catalytic activity of the zinc ions is improved. In an acid environment of a lactic acid solution, zinc ions catalyze hydroxyl carboxyl contained in lactic acid molecules to accelerate transition loss of electrons with different probabilities and probabilities or shift deflection of direction, angle and the like of shared electrons, so that water molecules are formed and removed, and
dehydration condensation of hydroxyl carboxyl in lactic acid molecules and between lactic acid molecules is continuously catalyzed; and carrying out polycondensation on the oligomeric lactic acid to obtain polylactic acid. Meanwhile, a small amount of intermediate
lactide formed by heating and catalyzing is also subjected to ring-opening
polymerization reaction to form a linear polylactic acid chain.