Thermoplastic comparison
PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate, a PHA) 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 | PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate, a PHA) | Polylactic acid (PLA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.25 g/cm³ | 1.24 g/cm³ | PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate, a PHA) — 1% higher |
| Young's modulus E | 3.5 GPa | 3.5 GPa | identical |
| Tensile strength | 40 MPa | 50 MPa | Polylactic acid (PLA) — 25% higher |
| Glass transition Tg | 4 °C | 58 °C | Polylactic acid (PLA) — 54 °C higher |
| Melting point Tm | 177 °C | 160 °C | PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate, a PHA) — 17 °C higher |
Where these numbers come from
- Sudesh, Abe & Doi, Prog. Polym. Sci. 25 (2000) 1503–1555 — PHA structure & properties review
- 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.