Thermoplastic
Polylactic acid (PLA)
Semi-crystalline commodity biopolymer from renewable feedstock; the easiest filament to FDM-print — stiff but brittle, and softens near its low Tg, so not for hot or load-bearing service.
| Property | Value | Source | Method | Conditions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ | Farah, Anderson & Langer, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 107 (2016) 367–392 — comprehensive PLA property review | — | 23 °C, dry | 1.21–1.43 across grades |
| Young's modulus E | 3.5 GPa | Farah, Anderson & Langer, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 107 (2016) 367–392 — comprehensive PLA property review | — | 23 °C, dry | 2.7–4.1 typical range |
| Tensile strength | 50 MPa | Farah, Anderson & Langer, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 107 (2016) 367–392 — comprehensive PLA property review | — | 23 °C, dry | molded; wide grade scatter |
| Glass transition Tg | 58 °C | Farah, Anderson & Langer, Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev. 107 (2016) 367–392 — comprehensive PLA property review | DSC | 23 °C, dry | 55–60 typical |
| Melting point Tm | 160 °C | MakeItFrom.com materials database — typical grade values | DSC | 23 °C, dry | semi-crystalline (PLLA) grades; slow-crystallizing / high-D grades stay largely amorphous |
Used in
See where Polylactic acid fits in a real product, and what it competes with:
Compare with
Sources
- 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. Always confirm against the supplier datasheet before design work. Data policy: docs/DATA-SOURCES.md in the repository.