CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURE OF LACTIDE POLYMERS WITH IMPROVED PURIFICATION METHODS

摘要

A process for the continuous production of substantially purified lactide an d lactide polymers from lactide acid or an ester of lactic acid including the steps of forming crude polylactic acid, preferably in the presence of a catalyst means in she case of the ester of lactic acid, to form a condensation reaction by-product and polylactic acid, and depolymerizing the polylactic acid to form crude lactide, followed by subsequent purification of the crude lactide in a distillation system. A purified lactide is then polymerized to form lactide polymers.