Comparison
EVOH 32 mol% Barrier vs Polycarbonate
A side-by-side comparison of Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (32 mol% VA) for Barrier Applications and Polycarbonate.
Physical
Density
1.18-1.22 g/cm³
1.20 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
3-5 % (highly hygroscopic)
0.15 %
Transparency
Good
Transparent (88% light transmission)
Shrinkage
1-3 %
0.5 – 0.8 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
1.5-2.5 GPa
2.3 – 2.4 GPa
Tensile Strength
40-55 MPa
60 – 70 MPa
Elongation at Break
15-30 %
100 – 150 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
50-100 J/m
600 – 900 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
90 – 100 MPa
Hardness (Rockwell M)
—
70
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
50-60 °C
147 °C
Melting Point
165-175 °C
—
Continuous Service Temperature
50-60 °C
115 – 130 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
50-60 °C
130 – 140 °C
Thermal Conductivity
—
0.20 W/m·K
CTE
—
65 – 70 × 10⁻⁶ /K
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.5-4.5
2.9 – 3.0
Volume Resistivity
10¹⁰-10¹² Ω⋅cm
10¹⁶ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-25 kV/mm
15 kV/mm
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good resistance
—
Bases
Good resistance
Poor
Solvents
Insoluble in most common solvents, but sensitive to moisture
—
UV Resistance
Poor
Poor (unless coated)
Acids (dilute)
—
Good
Alcohols
—
Fair
Oils
—
Good
Gasoline
—
Fair
Acetone
—
Poor (attacks)
Sustainability
Recyclability
Challenging due to multilayer structures
Recyclable
Recycling Code
Depends on multilayer
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate
~5 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
0 – 50 % (bio grades)