CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LACTIDE AND LACTIDE POLYMERS

摘要

A process for the continuous production of substantially purified lactide an d lactide polymers from lactic acid or an ester of lacti c acid including the steps of forming crude polylactic acid, preferably in the presence of a catalyst means in the case of the ester o f lactic acid, to form a condensation reaction by-product and polylactic acid, and de polymerizing the polylactic acid in a lactide reactor to form crude lactide, followed by subsequent purification of the crude lactide in a distillation system. A purified lactide is then polymer ized to form lactide polymers.