| HS Code | 827467 |
| Chemical Family | Polylactic Acid (PLA) |
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ |
| Melt Flow Rate | 22 g/10 min at 210°C and 2.16 kg |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 55-60°C |
| Crystalline Melt Temperature | 165-180°C |
| Tensile Strength At Yield | 60 MPa |
| Tensile Strength At Break | 53 MPa |
| Tensile Elongation At Break | 3.5% |
| Tensile Modulus | 3500 MPa |
| Flexural Strength | 83 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 3600 MPa |
| Notched Izod Impact | 2.7 kJ/m² at 23°C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 55°C at 0.455 MPa |
| Vicat Softening Temperature | 55°C |
| Mold Shrinkage | 0.3-0.7% |
| Processing Temperature | 190-220°C |
| Mold Temperature | 25-55°C |
| Drying Temperature | 80°C |
| Drying Time | 4 hours |
| Moisture Content | <0.025% |
| Appearance | Transparent pellets |
| Renewable Carbon Content | 100% |
| Compostability | Industrial compostable |
As an accredited Ingeo Polylactic Acid (PLA) 3001D factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Ingeo PLA 3001D pellets are supplied in 25 kg moisture-barrier bags, palletized and shrink-wrapped for shipment. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL loads 20 pallets (double-stacked) of 25 kg bags Ingeo Polylactic Acid (PLA) 3001D, totaling 20,000 kg net. |
| Shipping | Ingeo PLA 3001D is a non-hazardous, solid polylactic acid resin. It is typically shipped in 25 kg bags, octabins, or bulk containers under ambient, dry conditions. No DOT/IMDG/IATA hazard class applies. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight; keep packaging sealed. Store in a cool, dry area. Follow supplier guidance. |
| Storage | Store Ingeo Polylactic Acid (PLA) 3001D in a cool, dry, well-ventilated warehouse away from direct sunlight, heat, moisture, and ignition sources. Keep original packaging or containers tightly sealed to prevent moisture absorption. Recommended storage below 50°C (122°F) with low humidity. Rotate stock first-in, first-out. If opened, reseal promptly or dry before processing. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 12 months from manufacture when stored unopened in original packaging under cool, dry conditions. |
Melt-state degradation rather than solid-state crystallinity imposes the dominant processing boundary when Ingeo PLA 3001D is injection-molded into disposable cutlery. The melt flow rate specified in supplier documentation is 10–25 g/10 min under ISO 1133-1:2022 at 210°C/2.16 kg, placing it in the medium-flow category for thin-wall filling. The resin is fed at 100 wt% virgin base, with food-contact color masterbatch incorporated at 1–3 wt% and, only where ejection force becomes elevated, an internal mold release at 0.1–0.3 wt%; regrind from sprues and runners can be reintroduced up to 20 wt% after the same drying protocol. At ambient relative humidity above 60%, unsealed virgin material or regrind must be dried regardless of short exposure because PLA absorbs moisture rapidly. Food-contact compliance for cutlery sold in the EU is evaluated under EU Regulation 10/2011, with an overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm², while U.S. and China market access relies on the resin supplier’s active FDA Food Contact Notification and on GB 9685-2016 positive-list documentation for every color masterbatch ingredient. Before molding, moisture must be driven below 250 ppm using a desiccant dryer with a dew point of -40°C or lower, typically at 80°C for 4 h; moisture above approximately 500 ppm accelerates hydrolytic chain scission and produces splay, silver streaking, and embrittlement at fork tine or spoon bowl transitions. The melt is maintained between 200°C and 215°C at the nozzle, not exceeding 240°C because lactide reformation and molecular weight loss accelerate beyond that threshold. Injection molding lines for cutlery use general-purpose screws with L/D 20:1–24:1, a compression ratio of 2.2:1–2.8:1, and a mold temperature of 25–40°C to retain an amorphous transparent structure. Stack molds with 8–16 cavities and part weights of 3–8 g require fast injection speeds, typically 150–300 mm/s, with clamp force calculated from projected area at 4–6 kN/cm². Batch-release tensile verification is commonly performed according to ISO 527-2, while heat deflection temperature under ISO 75-2:2013 method B at 0.45 MPa remains near 50–55°C, limiting the cutlery to ambient or short hot contact. Terminal product types include disposable forks, teaspoons, soup spoons, sporks, and spreader sticks.
High-clarity cosmetic and personal-care packaging molding with Ingeo PLA 3001D places optical surface quality and dimensional stability ahead of load-bearing performance. The formulation is commonly 100 wt% virgin resin, with transparent or white masterbatch at 1–2 wt%; pearlescent or mineral pigments are kept below 2 wt% because dispersed particles above this level increase haze and reduce surface gloss. Regulatory oversight for these non-food containers combines REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Article 33 SVHC documentation and, where the jar is intended to contain a finished cosmetic formula, alignment with EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 packaging safety assessments. The injection mold is usually polished S136 or equivalent stainless tool steel with SPI class A1 finishes; mold temperature is controlled between 25°C and 50°C to prevent crystallization-induced haze. The melt should leave the nozzle at 190–210°C, and total residence time in the melt state should remain below 8–10 minutes because prolonged barrel residence generates acetaldehyde and shifts color toward yellow. Production machinery often uses closed-loop electric injection units with barrel capacity sized between 1.5–2.5 times shot weight and a non-return valve clearance inspected every 50,000 cycles to avoid melt leakage. Because PLA has low melt viscosity under shear, hot-runner valve-gate systems minimize gate blush and post-mold degating cracks. Terminal component types include lotion jars, compact cases, lip balm pots, and hair wax containers; all are limited to ambient or slightly warmed contents below 45°C because the heat deflection temperature of PLA 3001D in thick-wall sections is insufficient for hot-fill or hot-display applications. Published data for this specific cosmetic packaging configuration are limited, so initial capability runs should include drop conditioning under ASTM D2463-15 and stress-crack evaluation under a surrogate oil protocol.
| Scenario | Standard or code | Critical threshold / clause |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable cutlery | EU Regulation 10/2011 | Overall migration limit 10 mg/dm² |
| Disposable cutlery | GB 9685-2016 | Additive positive-list verification |
| Dairy snack pots | EU Regulation 10/2011 | Dairy simulant OML 10 mg/dm² |
| Cosmetic packaging | REACH 1907/2006 | SVHC documentation Article 33 |
| Cosmetic packaging | EU 1223/2009 | Packaging safety assessment |
| Horticultural pots | EN 13432 | ≥90% biodegradation within 180 days |
| Horticultural pots | ASTM D6400-21 | Compostability certification |
| Toy components | EN 71-3:2019+A1:2021 | Element migration limits |
| Toy components | ASTM F963-23 | Toy safety mechanical/physical |
When Ingeo PLA 3001D is used for chilled dairy snack pots, the processing objective is to suppress spherulitic crystallization so that the finished pot retains high transparency and ductility at refrigeration temperature. The resin is generally fed at 100 wt% with a titanium dioxide white masterbatch at 2–4 wt% when opacity is required; if transparent pots are specified, masterbatch use is eliminated or replaced by a clarified colorant at 0.5–1.0 wt%. The relevant compliance route is EU Regulation (EC) No 10/2011, with overall migration verification using food simulants assigned for aqueous dairy products; for North American distribution, the converter must document the resin supplier’s active FDA Food Contact Notification and ensure no unlisted masterbatch carrier resin appears in the final formulation. Injection molding uses cold runners or insulated sprue systems rather than long hot-runner parks because residence-time distribution in hot-runner channels can initiate unwanted nucleation. Mold temperature is held at 25–35°C, below the cold-crystallization onset that differential scanning calorimetry places near 100–110°C for amorphous Ingeo PLA, and cooling time is set to achieve a part surface temperature below 45°C before ejection. Melt temperature is 190–210°C, and the injection unit uses a reverse-temperature barrel profile from 180°C at the feed zone to 200°C at the metering zone, with a compression ratio of 2.5:1; injection pressure is typically 80–140 MPa depending on flow length and wall thickness. Filling thin-wall snack pots with wall sections of 0.7–1.2 mm demands high injection speed and short fill time, but excessive shear heating that raises melt temperature above 230°C will create visible streaking and weaken rim integrity. Terminal product types include single-serve yogurt cups, dessert pots, sauce cups, and sampling containers; they are limited to chilled or ambient filling below 40°C, and stackability requires an internal ribbing radius of at least 0.5 mm to avoid stress whitening at the stacking shoulder.
For horticultural pots and nursery clips, the conversion of Ingeo PLA 3001D shifts from optical clarity to outdoor weathering, industrial compostability, and slow-crack resistance under soil-contact moisture. The formulation is either 100 wt% virgin 3001D or a pre-compounded mixture containing 5–10 wt% calcium carbonate masterbatch to reduce shrinkage and molding cost; color masterbatch is added at 2–3 wt%. Compliance for these articles is established under EN 13432 or ASTM D6400-21 only after the finished pot, not the resin alone, meets disintegration and biodegradation thresholds; ≥90% organic carbon conversion to CO₂ within 180 days and ≥90% disintegration after 12 weeks are typical certification endpoints. Injection molding uses wall thicknesses of 1.5–3.0 mm to offset the inherent brittleness of PLA in thin sections; mold temperature is set at 25–45°C, and melt temperature is held between 180°C and 210°C. Screw selection follows a standard general-purpose profile with compression ratio 2.2:1–2.8:1; plastication capacity must not exceed 70% of screw recovery time to limit melt residence. Injection speed is reduced relative to thin-wall cutlery to 50–120 mm/s to avoid jetting and surface defects in thicker flow paths. Terminal component types include nursery pots, propagation trays, plant clips, and seedling labels; automated handling of pots below 1.0 mm wall thickness is not recommended because PLA 3001D shows notch sensitivity and low-temperature embrittlement at distribution temperatures below 5°C.
| Parameter | Thin-wall cutlery (<1.0 mm) | Horticultural pots (1.5–3.0 mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle melt temperature | 200–215°C | 180–210°C |
| Mold temperature | 25–40°C | 25–45°C |
| Moisture before molding | <250 ppm | |
| Screw L/D | 20:1–24:1 | |
| Injection speed | 150–300 mm/s | 50–120 mm/s |
Injection molding of toy components from Ingeo PLA 3001D requires simultaneous control of mechanical geometry, small-part impact toughness, and regulatory documentation for skin-contact or mouthing exposure. The formulation is normally 100 wt% 3001D with color masterbatch at 1–2 wt%; impact-modifying additives are avoided in commodity toy components because they can alter adhesion, color stability, and recyclability. Compliance includes EU Directive 2009/48/EC and the harmonized standard EN 71-3:2019+A1:2021 for migration of elements, while North American imports may reference ASTM F963-23 and California Proposition 65 documentation. Melt temperature is kept at 190–210°C, mold temperature at 25–40°C, and the mold is cooled with turbulent-flow water lines to avoid uneven shrinkage in thick sections. The production process uses polished cavity steel with venting gaps of 0.01–0.02 mm to prevent burn marks; the screw is configured with a shallow metering section to minimize shear heating, and the barrel profile is capped at the melt set point. Terminal product types include building block components, stacking rings, model kit bases, and mechanical sorting toys; sharp internal corners below 0.5 mm radius are not recommended because PLA exhibits notch sensitivity. Published data for PLA 3001D toy drop-impact performance are limited, so part designs must be validated with ISO 8124-1:2022 drop tests and torque tests on accessible edges.
Competitive Ingeo Polylactic Acid (PLA) 3001D prices that fit your budget—flexible terms and customized quotes for every order.
For samples, pricing, or more information, please contact us at +8618136850665 or mail to sales4@ascent-chem.com.
We will respond to you as soon as possible.
Tel: +8618136850665
Email: sales4@ascent-chem.com
Flexible payment, competitive price, premium service - Inquire now!
Ingeo Polylactic Acid (PLA) 3001D is a thermoplastic polyester resin produced by NatureWorks LLC for injection molding applications. The polymer backbone is composed primarily of L-lactic acid repeat units obtained by fermentation of plant-derived carbohydrates followed by catalytic ring-opening polymerization. Under ASTM D1238, the grade is characterized by a melt flow index of 15 g/10 min at 210 °C with a 2.16 kg piston load; under ASTM D792, solid-state density is 1.24 g/cm³. The material is supplied as pellets with an amorphous optical clarity that permits light transmission through thin-wall molded sections. Typical downstream uses include single-use food-service articles, cosmetic packaging, and technical components where low melt pressure and surface detail are required in multicavity tools. This grade is not intended for blown film, sheet extrusion, or other processes that require high melt strength.
The relevant distinction between 3001D and grades such as 2003D or 4043D is rheological. Under ASTM D1238, 3001D is specified at 15 g/10 min at 210 °C with a 2.16 kg load, whereas extrusion and thermoforming grades are commonly specified at 6 g/10 min or lower under the same conditions to maintain melt strength during sheet take-off, bubble formation, or parison extrusion. The higher melt flow index of 3001D lowers injection pressure in thin-wall tools and improves knit-line fusion, but it narrows the operating window for blow molding and blown film because the parison or bubble exhibits less resistance to sag and draw. The grade also has a controlled stereoisomer distribution that permits a degree of crystallization when cooled slowly or annealed; however, a conventional injection molding cycle with a chilled mold freezes the polymer into a predominantly amorphous state.
Before melt processing, the resin must be dried in a desiccant-bed dryer with a supply air dew point no higher than -40 °C. A moisture concentration above 0.025 wt% is sufficient to hydrolyze ester linkages during barrel residence; the resulting molecular weight loss appears as reduced melt viscosity, silver streaking, brittle parts, and mold deposit formation. Drying at 80 °C for 4 h is the commonly published condition for material exposed to ambient humidity. Material that has remained sealed or has been stored at low relative humidity may require shorter residence. Conveying and hopper loading should exclude ambient air to the greatest extent practicable because PLA re-absorbs moisture quickly at relative humidity above 60 %. Dryer capacity should be calculated from material throughput, not from hopper volume alone. A desiccant-bed hopper with a residence time of less than 4 h at the setpoint temperature will not lower moisture below the required threshold if the inlet material is cold or exposed to humid ambient air. Return-air dew point and regeneration cycle of the desiccant wheel must be monitored because a saturated desiccant bed can reintroduce moisture into the drying air.
Injection molding of 3001D is typically conducted with a melt temperature of 200–220 °C, measured at the nozzle, and a barrel profile that avoids sustained exposure above 240 °C. At temperatures above 240 °C, published degradation kinetics for poly(L-lactic acid) show an increase in chain scission, lactide reformation, and yellowing that is accelerated by oxygen and residual moisture. Melt residence time should be kept below 15 min, and the shot size should represent 50–80 % of the barrel capacity to limit time in the compression and metering zones. Screw recovery should use a low back pressure in the range of 0.3–0.7 MPa; excessive back pressure raises melt temperature through shear heating. A general-purpose screw with an L/D of 20:1 to 24:1 and a compression ratio of 2.5:1 to 3:1 is adequate for unfilled 3001D. Decompression after screw recovery is kept to 2–5 mm to prevent nozzle drool without pulling air into the melt. On production lines, nozzle drool and screw slip are commonly traced to insufficient drying, low feed-zone temperature, or excessive screw speed rather than to melt flow index.
Representative datasheet values for 3001D evaluated under standard test methods include a tensile yield strength of 60 MPa and tensile elongation at break of 3.5 % when tested according to ASTM D638. Flexural modulus is reported at approximately 3,600 MPa under ASTM D790, and notched Izod impact strength is approximately 16 J/m under ASTM D256. Heat deflection temperature of non-annealed specimens at 0.455 MPa is approximately 55 °C under ASTM D648, corresponding to the polymer glass transition range of 55–60 °C. These values define a stiff, brittle material at ambient temperature; elongation is low and impact energy absorption is limited unless the part is crystallized, plasticized, or compounded with impact modifiers. Optical haze is low in the amorphous molded state but increases as visible spherulitic structure develops during slow cooling or annealing. Published data for the effect of long-term humid aging on this specific grade is limited; converters requiring sustained moisture exposure should run application-specific testing rather than extrapolate from dry-room values.
Mold temperature controls the semicrystalline morphology and dimensional stability of 3001D parts. A chilled mold at 20–30 °C is used for fast cycles and high clarity; the polymer is quenched into a largely amorphous state with lower heat resistance and lower mold shrinkage. When the mold is maintained at 80–110 °C, the part remains above the glass transition long enough for spherulite growth, but the crystallization half-time of PLA is significantly longer than that of polypropylene, so cycle time increases unless a nucleating agent is used. Crystallized parts exhibit higher heat distortion resistance, reduced optical clarity, and different mold shrinkage than amorphous parts. Mold shrinkage for amorphous 3001D is generally reported in the range of 0.004–0.006 mm/mm; post-mold annealing at 80–100 °C can increase crystallinity and reduce residual stress, but it introduces additional dimensional change and requires flat or constrained fixturing to prevent warpage.
In sections below 1.0 mm, the melt can fill the cavity only if injection velocity is high enough to avoid premature skin freezing, but high shear rates above 10,000 s⁻¹ may produce viscous heating and localized molecular orientation that increases part stress and warpage after demolding. Multi-gated tools produce knit lines whose strength is influenced by the temperature of the converging flow fronts, venting, and melt residence time. Vents should be maintained at 0.01–0.02 mm depth for PLA to prevent burn marks and short shots. Because the material has relatively low shrinkage, ejection requires polished surfaces and draft angles that account for the resin’s coefficient of friction against steel; insufficient draft or rough cavity surfaces can generate ejection marks and stress whitening in transparent parts. Clamp force should be calculated from the projected area and the injection pressure required to fill the thinnest section; for thin-wall PLA parts, injection pressure commonly falls within 60–100 MPa, but the exact value is tool-dependent.
Compounding of 3001D with impact modifiers, nucleating agents, chain extenders, or reinforcing fillers alters the thermal and rheological response of the base resin. Nucleating agents such as talc, titanium dioxide, or stereocomplex nuclei reduce the crystallization half-time and permit higher mold temperatures without proportionally longer cycle times. Impact modifiers increase notched Izod values but reduce flexural modulus and may reduce heat deflection temperature. Chain extenders can restore melt strength after hydrolysis but must be selected to avoid competing transesterification with the polyester backbone. Addition of inorganic fillers above 10 wt% increases melt viscosity and requires wear-resistant screw and barrel equipment, particularly for glass fiber or mineral reinforcement. Because PLA is sensitive to basic conditions, additives with strongly alkaline residues can accelerate molecular weight loss during compounding; amine-based additives and certain metal soaps should be screened for thermal stability before production use.
Regulatory documentation for Ingeo 3001D is supplied by the resin manufacturer and should be confirmed against the current grade-specific certificate. PLA resins of this chemical class are commonly evaluated for industrial compostability under EN 13432:2000 and ASTM D6400, for chemical registration under REACH (EC) No 1907/2006, and for restricted substances under RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU. Food-contact status is not governed by a single global regulation; suitability depends on use conditions and on applicable national or regional migration limits, such as those established under European Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. Processing aids, colorants, or post-consumer rework incorporated by the converter fall outside the base resin compliance documentation and must be evaluated separately.
| Standard or regulation | Designation | Application boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial compostability | EN 13432:2000 | Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation |
| Aerobic compostability | ASTM D6400 | Specification for labeling of plastics designed to be composted in municipal or industrial facilities |
| Chemical registration | REACH (EC) No 1907/2006 | Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of substances in the European Union |
| Electrical equipment restrictions | RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU | Restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment |
| Plastic food-contact materials | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 | Migration limits for plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food |
Compared with petroleum-based injection molding resins such as polypropylene and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, 3001D has a higher density and a narrower processing window. Its melt temperature is 30–50 °C lower than polypropylene, but its thermal degradation threshold is also lower, so barrel setpoints cannot be raised indefinitely to reduce viscosity. Unlike polystyrene, PLA is hygroscopic and requires drying; unlike polyethylene terephthalate, its crystallization rate is slow enough that a cold mold produces an amorphous transparent part rather than a hazy semicrystalline part. These differences define boundary conditions for sprue sizes, runner diameters, gate locations, and cooling line layouts in injection molds.
