Cold Drink Straw Compound (Pure PLA, FDA)

About This Product

Cold Drink Straw Compound is a pure polylactic acid extrusion grade, supplied as a pellet compound. PLA is an aliphatic polyester built from lactide, itself obtained by fermenting plant sugars, so the polymer is made from plant carbohydrate rather than from oil. It is rigid and low in elongation, which is what lets a thin wall stand up in a cold drink, and it is FDA compliant for food contact. Paper straws are the common replacement for plastic and are widely disliked because they soften in the drink, where the bond between wetted cellulose fibres simply gives way. A PLA straw keeps the rigidity of a plastic straw and is compostable, because the stiffness is in the polymer itself rather than in a coating over a fibre web. This is a pure PLA grade, formulated for the extrusion and cutting of thin-wall tube, where the melt is drawn down from the die and has to hold a round section and an even wall as it sets. It is rated for cold drinks only: in a hot drink, unmodified PLA softens, so specify the heat-resistant grade. Supplied as a raw material for processing on the buyer's own line. We do not produce finished articles. It is used in cold drink straws, in foodservice and takeaway, and by quick service restaurants and their converters. Bio Green Chem supplies Cold Drink Straw Compound to specification on melt flow, tube diameter and wall thickness, service temperature and food contact compliance.