APPARATUS AND METHOD BOTH RELATING TO POLYMER SYNTHESIS

摘要

Disclosed is a means for producing lactide efficiently in the production of a poly(lactic acid) by depolymerizing a lactic acid oligomer to produce lactide and ring-opening-polymerizing lactide. Also disclosed is a lactide production apparatus for producing lactide continuously or intermittently, which comprises: a depolymerization unit (11) for depolymerizing a lactic acid oligomer; a catalyst regeneration unit (27) for depolymerizing a residue in the depolymerization unit to reduce the molecular weight of the lactic acid oligomer contained in the residue; and a distillation column (29) for condensing lactide which has been produced in the depolymerization unit in the form of a gas phase.