Thermoplastic comparison
LCP (liquid crystal polymer) vs Polylactic acid (PLA)
Every value below is a typical room-temperature figure with its source, test method and conditions — the same dataset that drives the calculators.
| Property | LCP (liquid crystal polymer) | Polylactic acid (PLA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.4 g/cm³ | 1.24 g/cm³ | LCP (liquid crystal polymer) — 13% higher |
| Young's modulus E | 10.6 GPa | 3.5 GPa | LCP (liquid crystal polymer) — 3.0× higher |
| Tensile strength | 182 MPa | 50 MPa | LCP (liquid crystal polymer) — 3.6× higher |
| Melting point Tm | 280 °C | 160 °C | LCP (liquid crystal polymer) — 120 °C higher |
Where these numbers come from
- Celanese Vectra A950 liquid crystal polymer datasheet, typical (flow-direction) values
- Farah, Anderson & Langer, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 107 (2016) 367–392 — comprehensive PLA property review
- MakeItFrom.com materials database — typical grade values
Typical room-temperature values for learning and preliminary design; grades vary widely and a supplier datasheet always overrides a textbook figure. Confirm against the datasheet before design work.