Comparison
Flexible Cast Polyurethane vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Cast Polyurethane and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
1.10-1.25 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.5-1.5 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Opaque to Translucent
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
0.5-1.5 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
0.01-1.0 GPa (Shore A to D hardness)
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
20-60 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
300-800 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
30-100 J/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
-50 to 100 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
N/A
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
70-120 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
20-80 °C
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.5-5.0
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^10-10^13 Ohm-cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
10-20 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good resistance
Fair
Bases
Good resistance
Poor
Solvents
Resistant to oils and greases, swells in polar solvents
—
UV Resistance
Poor without additives
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Difficult
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
N/A
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %