Comparison

Durable Tough Cast Polyurethane vs PLA

A side-by-side comparison of Cast Polyurethane (PU) elastomer and Polylactic Acid.

Property

Durable Tough Cast Polyurethane

PLA

Physical

Density

1.15 - 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 - 1.0 %

0.3 – 0.5 %

Mechanical

Young's Modulus

0.01 - 0.2 GPa

3.5 GPa

Tensile Strength

30 - 80 MPa

50 – 65 MPa

Elongation at Break

300 - 700 %

6 %

Impact Strength (Izod)

Very High

16 J/m

Flexural Strength

—

80 MPa

Thermal

Glass Transition Temperature

-10 to 10 °C

60 °C

Melting Point

N/A

150 – 160 °C

Continuous Service Temperature

-30 to 80 °C

45 °C

Heat Deflection Temperature

60 - 100 °C

55 °C

Electrical

Dielectric Constant

5.0 - 7.0

3.0

Volume Resistivity

10^10 - 10^12 Ohm-cm

10¹⁴ Ω·cm

Dielectric Strength

10 - 20 kV/mm

—

Chemical resistance

Acids

Good

Fair

Bases

Good

Poor

Solvents

Good resistance to oils, greases, aliphatic hydrocarbons; swells in strong polar solvents, ketones, and aromatic hydrocarbons

—

UV Resistance

Fair (can yellow)

Poor

Alcohols

—

Fair

Hydrolysis

—

Poor

Sustainability

Recyclability

Difficult (thermoset-like behavior)

Industrially compostable

Recycling Code

N/A

Carbon Footprint

Moderate to High

~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg

Bio-based Content

—

100 %