| HS Code | 705503 |
| Product | PLA fiber |
| Material Type | Aliphatic polyester fiber |
| Chemical Composition | Poly(lactic acid), a polymer of lactic acid |
| Monomer Source | Renewable biomass such as corn starch, sugarcane, or sugar beet |
| Biodegradability | Biodegradable under industrial composting conditions |
| Density | 1.24–1.30 g/cm³ |
| Melting Point | 130–180 °C depending on stereoisomer content |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 55–60 °C |
| Tensile Strength | 30–70 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 2–10% |
| Moisture Regain | 0.4–0.6% at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity |
| Fiber Fineness | Typically 0.8–3.0 dtex for staple fiber |
| Uv Resistance | Moderate; can degrade with prolonged UV exposure |
| Flammability | Combustible; burns with low smoke |
| Dyeability | Dyeable with disperse dyes; requires careful temperature control |
| Chemical Resistance | Good resistance to oils and greases; poor resistance to strong alkalis |
| Thermal Stability | Limited; degrades above processing temperatures around 200 °C |
| Elastic Recovery | Low to moderate |
| Hydrophilicity | Hydrophobic to slightly hydrophilic |
| Production Process | Melt spinning, dry spinning, or solution spinning |
As an accredited PLA fiber factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | PLA fiber is packed in 25 kg moisture-resistant woven bags with inner liners, palletized and shrink-wrapped for transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | PLA fiber is loaded into a 20-foot FCL container in dry, ventilated conditions, palletized or baled, secured to prevent shifting. |
| Shipping | PLA fiber is shipped as a non-hazardous solid in moisture-resistant bags or cartons, palletized and stretch-wrapped. Transport in clean, dry vehicles or containers at ambient temperature. Protect from heat, sunlight, moisture, and strong acids/alkalis. Standard freight rules apply; no UN hazard class. Ensure packages remain intact and labeled. |
| Storage | Store PLA fiber in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat, moisture, and ignition sources. Keep in sealed, labeled containers to prevent hydrolysis and degradation. Separate from strong acids, bases, and oxidizing agents. Avoid prolonged storage above 40°C and high humidity. Follow local regulations and manufacturer guidance. Keep containers closed when not in use. Use first-in, first-out stock rotation. |
| Shelf Life | PLA fiber's shelf life is about 6–12 months under cool, dry conditions, protected from moisture, heat, and UV light. |
In spunbond nonwoven production, polylactide resin with a melt flow rate between 30 g/10 min and 70 g/10 min at 210 °C under 2.16 kg as specified in ISO 1133-1:2022 is pre-dried to a moisture content below 250 ppm using a desiccant hopper dryer with a dew point of −40 °C; failure to maintain this moisture threshold above 400 ppm accelerates hydrolytic chain scission in the extruder, causing a measurable loss of intrinsic viscosity and frequent filament breaks at the spinneret. Melt temperature at the die plate is maintained between 215 °C and 235 °C, while residence time above 200 °C is kept below 6 min to limit lactide regeneration and discoloration. The spun-filament curtain is quenched with cross-flow air at 15 °C to 25 °C, then drawn through a slot attenuator before deposition on a moving collection belt at basis weights from 12 g/m² to 60 g/m². Thermal calendar bonding at 120 °C to 145 °C is used; bonding temperatures above 150 °C produce shrink-back defects because cold crystallisation onset competes with bulk flow. Formulation practice for hygiene-grade spunbond uses 100 wt% PLA fibre resin, with 2 wt% to 5 wt% of a TiO₂ masterbatch added when opacity and UV screening are required; masterbatch loads above 7 wt% are generally avoided because particle agglomeration reduces filament drawability, although published data for this specific configuration is limited. Compliance verification for finished medical and hygiene disposables is conducted under ISO 9073-2 for tensile strength, ISO 9073-3 for thickness, ISO 9073-4 for tear resistance, and ISO 9073-6 for absorbency. Where the substrate is intended for skin-contact medical devices, ISO 10993-5:2009 cytotoxicity and ISO 10993-10:2021 irritation testing are applied, and ethylene-oxide sterilisation is validated under ISO 11135:2014. Terminal product types include surgical drapes, isolation gowns, disposable bed linens, diaper top sheets, and acquisition layers in absorbent hygiene products.
Ring-spun yarns containing 30 wt% to 50 wt% PLA staple fibre are processed on short-staple spinning lines with fibre cut lengths of 38 mm for cotton-system open-end rotor machines and 44 mm to 51 mm for worsted or semi-worsted ring frames. The lower thermoplastic softening point of PLA compared with polyester requires that rotor speed be limited to avoid fibre melting at the navel; in practice, rotor diameters above 40 mm and speeds below 80,000 min⁻¹ are used for 30 wt% PLA blends, while ring frames with spindle speeds above 12,000 min⁻¹ may require yarn lubricant levels of 0.3 wt% to 0.5 wt% to control fibre-metal friction. In woven constructions, 15 wt% to 30 wt% PLA in warp yarns is preferred because size reparation chemistry must avoid strong alkali desizing at pH above 10.5, which induces surface hydrolysis and loss of tensile strength. Dyeing is carried out with disperse dyestuffs at 110 °C to 115 °C rather than high-temperature polyester conditions; holding time is limited to 45 min to 60 min at pH 4.5 to 5.5. Compliance testing for apparel includes OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Annex 4 for product class I and II, ISO 6330:2012 for dimensional change after washing, ISO 105-C06:2010 for wash colour fastness, ISO 105-B02:2014 for light fastness, and ISO 12945-2:2020 for pilling. Terminal product types include underwear, t-shirts, loungewear, socks, shirting, and lightweight woven workwear; high-temperature industrial laundry above 75 °C is an operational boundary.
ISO 16890-1:2016 ePM1 reporting has replaced EN 779:2012 for air filtration, but PLA meltblown media are not a drop-in substitute for polypropylene because PLA generally exhibits lower charge storage stability than polypropylene; published fractional efficiency data for PLA meltblown media at ePM1 levels is limited compared with polypropylene electret media. Production lines for PLA meltblown filtration media use resins with melt flow rates between 80 g/10 min and 180 g/10 min at 210 °C under 2.16 kg per ISO 1133-1:2022, and the extruder is operated at 220 °C to 240 °C with hot-air attenuation from 0.15 mm to 0.35 mm spinneret orifices to produce fibre diameters between 1 µm and 5 µm. In needlefelt filter media, 10 wt% to 20 wt% of PLA-based bicomponent bonding fibre is blended with 80 wt% to 90 wt% PLA staple fibre, then carded, cross-lapped, and needle-punched to 250 g/m² to 600 g/m² before calendering. Use is restricted to low-moisture air streams because humidity above 60 % RH accelerates hydrolytic degradation, and continuous service above 60 °C reduces tensile strength retention. Compliance verification is conducted under ISO 16890-2:2016 for fractional efficiency, ISO 9073-2 for tensile strength, ISO 9237 for air permeability, and ASHRAE 52.2-2017 where North American reporting is required. Terminal product types include HVAC bag filters, cabin air filters, vacuum cleaner bags, and respirator prefilter layers.
Accelerated soil burial conditions in ASTM D5988-21 use a standardised soil inoculum at 20 °C to 28 °C and moisture at 50 % to 60 % of water-holding capacity, but field deployment of PLA spunbond crop covers between 15 g/m² and 50 g/m² exposes the nonwoven to cyclical wet-dry stress, UV radiation, and soil temperatures below the biological activity threshold, so laboratory mineralisation rates do not translate linearly to service-life. For agricultural applications, the formulation is 100 wt% PLA spunbond or carded staple needlepunched to 150 g/m² to 400 g/m² for erosion-control blankets. Production uses a spunbond beam with filament diameters of 15 µm to 30 µm for crop covers, or a carding-needle line with fibre fineness of 1.7 dtex to 6.7 dtex for heavy geotextile mats. Thread lines in the spunbond web are avoided by maintaining a uniform suction profile under the collection conveyor; local web weight variation above ±10 % produces premature perforation in the field. Compliance must address both physical performance and biodegradability: ISO 12236:2006 for puncture resistance, EN 12224:2000 for UV ageing, ISO 17556:2019 for aerobic biodegradation in soil, and EN 17033:2018 for biodegradable mulch films where product claims are made. Terminal product types include crop row covers, weed-suppressant mats, seed germination blankets, erosion-control netting, and tree guard sleeves.
Because the PLA-rich surface begins to soften at 110 °C to 120 °C, while the PET structural layer requires forming temperatures above 160 °C, thermoforming of needled multilayer substrates combining PLA and PET requires a two-stage heating cycle. The blend formulation is typically 30 wt% to 50 wt% PLA staple fibre in a PET/PLA needlepunch, with 2 wt% to 5 wt% of maleic-anhydride-grafted compatibiliser added when the PLA fraction exceeds 30 wt% to limit interfacial debonding; published data for this specific blend in automotive acoustic substrates is limited. The downstream process consists of bale opening, carding, cross-lapping, needle-punching at 200 punches/min to 400 punches/min with needle gauges from 36 to 42, and rotary or flat-bed lamination of a decorative textile face before compression moulding. Process control must reject webs with moisture above 300 ppm because steam generated during forming expands the web and causes delamination. Compliance testing under FMVSS 302 requires horizontal burn rate not to exceed 102 mm/min; emissions and fogging are measured by VDA 278:2011, VDA 275, and ISO 6452:2021, while supply-chain quality management follows IATF 16949:2016. Terminal product types include door-card substrates, package trays, trunk liners, and headliner base felts.
Under cyclic compression testing at 65 % relative humidity, PLA hollow conjugate staple fibre loses loft through crimp straightening and fibre-to-fibre migration, not through density increase alone. The formulation for insulation filling is 100 wt% PLA hollow fibre with a silicone-based friction-reducing finish applied at 0.2 wt% to 0.5 wt% solids on dry fibre; finish levels below 0.15 wt% produce excessive card web static, while levels above 0.8 wt% interfere with thermal bonding in the garnetting stage. The downstream process is bale opening, carding, cross-lapping, garnetting, and cutting of batts to 100 g/m² to 400 g/m² for quilted products or blow-line injection for filled jackets. Thermal resistance is evaluated under ISO 11092:2014; conductive heat transfer in finished batt form may be measured by ASTM C518-21. Compliance for consumer goods also requires OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Annex 4 for product class I and II, and flammability assessment under 16 CFR 1632 where mattress pads are marketed in the United States. Terminal product types include duvets, pillows, mattress toppers, insulated jackets, and sleeping bags; laundering above 40 °C or tumble drying at high heat is an operational boundary because loft recovery declines after repeated exposure above the PLA glass transition.
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Polylactide fiber, designated PLA under ISO 2076:2021, is a melt-spinnable aliphatic polyester produced by ring-opening polymerization of lactide derived from fermentable carbohydrate sources. Commercial fiber-spinning resin grades—such as NatureWorks Ingeo 6202D and 6201D—are supplied with certificates of analysis that typically specify a melt flow index of 6–15 g/10 min at 210 °C under 2.16 kg load per ISO 1133-1:2022, density of 1.24–1.25 g/cm³ per ISO 1183-1:2019, and a D-lactide content below 1.5 mol% for semi-crystalline fiber grades. The polyester repeat unit contains hydrolytically labile ester linkages; this structural feature distinguishes PLA fiber from polyolefin fibers during aerobic composting and high-humidity service. Melt-spun PLA fiber is typically supplied as staple or filament with linear density between 1.3 dtex and 6.7 dtex, tenacity from 3.5 cN/dtex to 5.0 cN/dtex, elongation at break from 25% to 40%, and a melting endotherm of 150–165 °C measured by ISO 11357-3:2018. The combination of relatively low melting temperature and crystallinity development during drawing allows thermal bonding in nonwoven lines, but it also limits sustained use above the glass transition temperature of 55–60 °C unless the fiber is crystallized and dimensionally stabilized.
Because the ester linkage in PLA hydrolyzes rapidly above the glass transition when moisture is present, drying before melt processing is a primary control variable. Desiccant-wheel or vacuum dryers reduce granulate moisture to below 250 ppm before extrusion; inlet air dew point of -40 °C or lower and drying temperatures of 70–80 °C for 4–6 h are typical. Amorphous PLA softening above 60 °C can cause bridging or agglomeration in hoppers, so crystallized grades or separate crystallization steps at 90–120 °C are applied when higher drying temperatures are necessary. Single-screw extruders with an L/D ratio of 24:1 to 30:1 and barrier screw geometry are common for fiber-grade PLA. Barrel zones are set between 190 °C and 230 °C, with melt temperature at the spin pack maintained at 215–235 °C. Filtration through sintered metal or screen packs of 20–40 µm removes gel particles that otherwise cause filament breaks. Spinneret hole diameters of 0.2–0.6 mm and capillary L/D ratios of 2:1 to 4:1 are used for round and trilobal cross-sections. Quench air at 15–25 °C, relative humidity 60–70%, and velocity 0.3–0.8 m/s produces stable as-spun filaments. Spin finish is applied at 0.15–0.35% by mass to control static and friction.
Because PLA melt strength is lower than PET at comparable intrinsic viscosity, drawing and winding are more sensitive to process instability. As-spun PLA filaments are drawn at draw ratios of 2.5:1 to 4.5:1 over heated godets; first-stage godet temperatures of 60–90 °C and second-stage temperatures of 100–130 °C are typical. Relaxation of 5–10% downstream reduces boiling-water shrinkage to below 5% for staple-grade fiber. On industrial lines, spunbond spinneret pack life can be limited by oligomer deposition within 12–24 h when melt temperatures exceed 230 °C. Draw resonance above 4.5:1 and filament fusing below 0.3 m/s quench air velocity are practical failure modes. Stable high-speed winding above 3500 m/min is not universally achievable across all resin lots, and published data for production-scale operation above 4000 m/min is limited. Extruder residence time should be minimized below 10–15 min at melt temperatures above 220 °C to limit lactide reformation and molecular weight drift.
For specification purposes, the property envelope of commercial PLA staple fiber is defined by tensile, thermal, dimensional, and surface parameters. Fiber tensile properties are measured by ASTM D3822 or ISO 5079:2020; typical values are tenacity 3.5–5.0 cN/dtex, elongation at break 25–40%, and tensile modulus 3.0–4.0 GPa. Boiling water shrinkage is controlled by heat-setting; unstabilized PLA fiber may shrink 8–12%, while heat-set fiber is commonly specified below 5% using ISO 5077:2007. Crimp frequency for staple fiber is generally 8–15 crimps per 25 mm, and finish on fiber is 0.15–0.35% by mass. The limiting oxygen index of PLA is approximately 26%, higher than polypropylene and lower than many high-temperature technical fibers. Moisture regain at 65% relative humidity and 20 °C is 0.4–0.6%, which gives hydrophobic handling but remains higher than polypropylene. The combination of low moisture regain and disperse dye uptake at 100–110 °C allows apparel blends to be dyed without carriers while reducing processed-water load compared with polyester dyeing.
Across incumbent fiber types, density, thermal stability, moisture regain, and biodegradation response show the largest practical differences. The table below summarizes representative values obtained from supplier technical bulletins and standard textile references. The data are comparative; specification values for a particular lot must be verified against the supplier certificate of analysis and the relevant ASTM or ISO method.
| Property | PLA | PET | PA6 | PP | Viscose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.24–1.25 | 1.38–1.40 | 1.13–1.15 | 0.90–0.92 | 1.50–1.52 |
| Melting or degradation temperature (°C) | 150–165 | 250–265 | 215–225 | 160–170 | No melt; degrades above 180–200 °C |
| Tenacity (cN/dtex) | 3.5–5.0 | 4.5–7.5 | 4.0–6.0 | 3.0–6.0 | 2.0–3.5 |
| Elongation at break (%) | 25–40 | 20–45 | 25–40 | 30–100 | 6–9 (dry) |
| Moisture regain (%) | 0.4–0.6 | 0.4 | 4.0–4.5 | 0.0–0.1 | 11–13 |
| Industrial compostability | Certifiable under ISO 17088:2021 / EN 13432:2000 for suitable grades | Not inherently biodegradable | Not inherently biodegradable | Not inherently biodegradable | Biodegradable in soil and compost; method-dependent |
In spunbond and carded-thermal-bond processes, PLA fiber is used where lower processing temperatures and controlled compostability are required. Calendar bonding temperatures are set between 120 °C and 160 °C for PLA, compared with 210–230 °C for PET; this lowers thermal energy input but narrows the bond-temperature window because the melting endotherm is shallow. Basis weights from 15 g/m² to 100 g/m² are typical for hygiene and filtration webs; machine-direction tensile strength is influenced by bond area, basis weight, and fiber draw ratio. PLA is not a direct drop-in for PET in durable high-temperature applications: hot-air exposure above 130 °C or repeated industrial laundering above 80 °C can cause dimensional instability unless heat-setting and crystallization have been optimized. In hygiene topsheets, PLA fiber provides low linting and controlled fluid handling; in geotextiles and agricultural fabrics, the ester linkage is susceptible to hydrolysis when soil moisture and temperature exceed about 58 °C in industrial composting or prolonged humid service, which defines the functional lifetime boundary.
In medical and hygiene nonwovens, PLA staple fiber is converted into disposable gown components, wound-contact layers, and acquisition distribution layers because it can be thermally bonded and is available with low heavy-metal and formaldehyde residuals. Sterilization system selection is critical: ethylene oxide and electron beam are generally preferred because gamma irradiation above 25 kGy can reduce molecular weight and tensile properties; published data for gamma-irradiated PLA fiber at higher doses is limited. Apparel applications include PLA/wool, PLA/cotton, and PLA/viscose blends processed on cotton or worsted spinning systems. Dyeing with disperse dyes is conducted at 100–110 °C without carriers, but dye selection must account for the polyester-like low moisture regain and the risk of hydrolysis when aqueous dyebath pH exceeds 8.0 at elevated temperature. Filtration uses PLA needlefelt or spunbond media where the fiber’s lower melting temperature allows thermal calendering, but continuous service above 70 °C in humid air can reduce tensile retention. Agricultural mulch fabrics and plant supports made from PLA degrade at rates governed by soil microbial activity, pH, moisture, and temperature; no single field degradation rate should be assumed.
When PLA fiber is supplied for compostable nonwovens, conformity is evaluated under ISO 17088:2021 or EN 13432:2000; these standards require test evidence for biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity, and regulated metal content. For food-contact applications, fiber suppliers may provide declarations under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 or FDA 21 CFR 175.300 where applicable, but migration testing must reflect the final article thickness and use conditions. REACH and RoHS compliance are product-specific and should be verified through the supplier’s extended safety data sheet. Fiber-grade PLA should be stored in sealed packaging at 20–30 °C and below 50% relative humidity to prevent moisture uptake; opened bulk containers should be dried before melt processing, particularly when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60%. The fiber is incompatible with strong aqueous alkali and amine-containing additives that accelerate ester hydrolysis or cause premature chain scission. These operational boundaries must be integrated into process specifications because PLA hydrolytic stability is lower than PET and PA6 under moist alkaline conditions.
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