Comparison
LCP Vectra A vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Liquid Crystal Polymer Vectra A and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
1.35-1.45 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.01-0.1 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Opaque
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
0.05-0.3 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
10-20 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
100-180 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
1-5 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
5-10 kJ/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
100-130 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
280-330 °C
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
200-240 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
240-280 °C (1.8 MPa)
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.0-3.5
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^14-10^16 Ohm-cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
20-30 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Excellent
Fair
Bases
Excellent
Poor
Solvents
Excellent
—
UV Resistance
Good
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Recyclable (difficult)
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
7 (Other)
7
Carbon Footprint
High
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %