Properties of Polylactic Acid (PLA)

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, bioactive thermoplastic derived from renewable sources such as corn starch or sugarcane. Known for its environmental friendliness, PLA is widely used in 3D printing, disposable packaging, tableware, and medical applications due to its balance of strength, clarity, and processability.

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The following table provides a comprehensive list of polylactic acid (PLA) properties in both SI and US customary/Imperial units at normal temperature and pressure (NTP).

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Table of Polylactic Acid Properties
Physical Properties
Metric
CategoryThermoplastic
Density1250 kg/m3
Mechanical PropertiesMetric
Ultimate Tensile Strength48 - 145 MPa
Flexural Modulus3.7 - 3.8 GPa
Elongation at Break2.5 - 100%
Thermal PropertiesMetric
Melting Point150 - 160 °C
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)60 - 65 °C

Unless stated otherwise, all values are taken at room temperature (approximately 20°C or 68°F) and 1 atm pressure. (1 atm = 101,325 Pa)

Related Pages
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018. 2) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017. 3) A.M. Howatson, P.G. Lun, J.D. Todd, P.D. Engineering Tables and Data. United Kingdom: University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, 2009.