PLA vs. Phenolic
PLA belongs to the thermoplastics classification, while phenolic belongs to the thermoset plastics. There are 13 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 phenolic.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
| Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 3.5 | |
| 3.8 |
| Elongation at Break, % | 6.0 | |
| 2.0 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 50 | |
| 48 |
Thermal Properties
| Glass Transition Temperature, °C | 60 | |
| 170 |
| Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 50 | |
| 150 |
| Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 1800 | |
| 1400 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 0.13 | |
| 0.25 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
| Density, g/cm3 | 1.3 | |
| 1.3 |
Common Calculations
| Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 1.6 | |
| 1.6 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 40 | |
| 40 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 11 | |
| 10 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 24 | |
| 23 |
| Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 0.058 | |
| 0.14 |