Comparison
EVOH 44 mol% Barrier vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (44 mol% VA) for Barrier Applications and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
1.18-1.22 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
4-6 % (highly hygroscopic)
0.5 %
Transparency
Good
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
1-3 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
1.5-2.5 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
40-55 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
15-30 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
50-100 J/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
45-55 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
170-180 °C
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
50-60 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
50-60 °C
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.5-4.5
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10¹⁰-10¹² Ω⋅cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-25 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good resistance
Fair
Bases
Good resistance
Poor
Solvents
Insoluble in most common solvents, but sensitive to moisture
—
UV Resistance
Poor
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Challenging due to multilayer structures
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
Depends on multilayer
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %