Thermoplastic comparison
Polylactic acid (PLA) vs Polypropylene (PP)
Every value below is a typical room-temperature figure with its source, test method and conditions — the same dataset that drives the calculators.
| Property | Polylactic acid (PLA) | Polypropylene (PP) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ | 0.905 g/cm³ | Polylactic acid (PLA) — 37% higher |
| Young's modulus E | 3.5 GPa | 1.4 GPa | Polylactic acid (PLA) — 2.5× higher |
| Tensile strength | 50 MPa | 34 MPa | Polylactic acid (PLA) — 47% higher |
| Glass transition Tg | 58 °C | -10 °C | Polylactic acid (PLA) — 68 °C higher |
| Melting point Tm | 160 °C | 165 °C | Polypropylene (PP) — 5 °C higher |
Where these numbers come from
- Farah, Anderson & Langer, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 107 (2016) 367–392 — comprehensive PLA property review
- MakeItFrom.com materials database — typical grade values
- Callister & Rethwisch, Materials Science and Engineering, 10th ed.
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.