Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane, belonging to the polyester family. It is widely used in packaging, consumer goods, textiles, and medical devices where its combination of processability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental degradability provides advantages over conventional petroleum-based plastics. Engineers select PLA when end-of-life biodegradability is a design requirement, though its moderate thermal and mechanical performance compared to conventional polymers limits use in high-temperature or high-stress applications.
Compliance & Regulations
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Compressive Strength(σc) | 45.81 | MPa | — | ||
Elongation at Break(εf) | 48.84 | - | — | ||
Flexural Strength (MOR)(σf) | 80.52 | MPa | — | ||
Ultimate Tensile Strength(σUTS) | 58.42 | MPa | — | ||
Young's Modulus(E) | 2.578 | GPa | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Glass Transition Temperature(Tg) | 331.9 | K | — | ||
Melting Point / Solidus(Tm) | 433.7 | K | — | ||
Maximum Service Temperature(Tmax) | 620.9 | K | — | ||
Thermal Conductivity(k) | 0.1575 | W/(m·K) | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Refractive Index(n) | 1.410 | - | — |