PLA vs. Epoxy
PLA belongs to the thermoplastics classification, while epoxy belongs to the thermoset plastics. There are 14 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (13, in this case) are not shown.
For each property being compared, the top bar is PLA and the bottom bar is epoxy.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
| Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 3.5 | |
| 2.4 |
| Elongation at Break, % | 6.0 | |
| 4.5 |
| Shear Modulus, GPa | 2.4 | |
| 0.85 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 50 | |
| 67 |
Thermal Properties
| Glass Transition Temperature, °C | 60 | |
| 120 |
| Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 50 | |
| 130 |
| Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 1800 | |
| 1500 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 0.13 | |
| 0.2 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
| Density, g/cm3 | 1.3 | |
| 1.3 |
Common Calculations
| Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 1.6 | |
| 1.0 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 40 | |
| 34 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 11 | |
| 14 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 24 | |
| 28 |
| Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 0.058 | |
| 0.1 |