Table 2 - L (+) lactic acid fermentation and its product polymerization

Table 2. Overview of lactic acid based polymers prepared by direct polycondensation or by polycondensation followed by chain extension.

Molecular size prepared in kDa	Monomer/monomers	Linking agent	Macro molecular form	Reference
Low or medium molar mass < 70 kDa	L-lactic acid	nil	Linear homopolymer	Espartero et al. 1996; Ajioka et al. 1998
High molecular size >70 kDa	L-lactic acid	HMDI	Linear homopolymer	Hiltunen et al. 1997; Woo et al. 1995
High molecular size >70 kDa	L-lactic acid	Dipentaerythriitol	Star shaped homopolymer	Kim and Kim, 1999
Low molar mass < 20 kDa	L-lactic acid with 6-hydroxycapric acid; L-lactic acid with caprolactone	Nil with 6hydroxycaproic acid, and HMDI for caprolactone monomer polymerization	Linear copolymer	Kylma et al. 1997; Kawasaki et al. 1998
High molecular size > 70 kDa	L-lactic acid with Butandiol; L-lactic acid with mandelic acid	HMDI; IPDI	Copolymers	Kylma and Seppala, 1997
High molecular size > 70 kDa	L-lactic acid with butandiol; 4 hydroxybbenzoic acid	HMDI; IPDI	Copolymers	Kylma and Seppala, 1997
High molecular size > 70 kDa	L-lactic acid with butandiol; 4 acetoxybenzoic acid	HMDI; IPDI	Copolymers	Kylma and Seppala, 1997
High molecular size > 70 kDa	L-lactic acid with butandiol; 4	HMDI; IPDI	Copolymers	Kylma and Seppala, 1997
High molecular size > 70 kDa	L-lactic acid	HMDI; IPDI	Copolymers	Kylma and Seppala, 1997

Monomer/monomers