lactide

1 9.9

A small ring-shaped chemical made from lactic acid used to make plastic that breaks down naturally

noun
/ˈlæktaɪd/

Specialized

: lactida

Scientists are exploring how lactide can be synthesized from renewable resources for eco-friendly materials.

Examples

In polymer chemistry, lactide is often used as a monomer to produce biodegradable plastics.
And so we use as our building blocks methane, lactide and lignin.
"Unlike the degradation products from polymers like lactides and glycolides, silicic acid, the product from BioSilicon, is a very mild acid expected to cause less irritation."

Academic text (2004)
The production of lactide from lactic acid is a critical step in creating sustainable biopolymers.

Surface Forms

lactide singular

lactides plural

Morphology

lactide = lactic (opaque) = lact + ide

The formation is a specialized chemical naming process (derived from lactic acid) that is not predictable to an average B1 learner from the parts.

Etymology

The word lactide comes from the root lact-, which means 'milk' and appears in words like lactose, because lactic acid was first found in sour milk. The ending -ide is a common chemical ending for related compounds, so lactide is the chemical form made from lactic acid and used to make biodegradable plastics.