Comparison

Polypropylene vs PLA

A side-by-side comparison of Polypropylene and Polylactic Acid.

Property

Polypropylene

PLA

Physical

Density

0.90 g/cm³

1.24 g/cm³

Water Absorption (24h)

0.01 %

0.5 %

Transparency

Translucent

Semi-transparent

Shrinkage

1.0 – 2.5 %

0.3 – 0.5 %

Mechanical

Young's Modulus

1.5 GPa

3.5 GPa

Tensile Strength

30 – 40 MPa

50 – 65 MPa

Impact Strength (Izod)

40 J/m

16 J/m

Elongation at Break

100 – 600 %

6 %

Flexural Strength

—

80 MPa

Thermal

Melting Point

160 °C

150 – 160 °C

Continuous Service Temperature

100 °C

45 °C

Heat Deflection Temperature

100 °C

55 °C

Glass Transition Temperature

—

60 °C

Electrical

Dielectric Constant

2.2

3.0

Volume Resistivity

10¹⁷ Ω·cm

10¹⁴ Ω·cm

Chemical resistance

Acids

Excellent

Fair

Bases

Excellent

Poor

Solvents

Good

—

UV Resistance

Poor unless stabilized

Poor

Alcohols

—

Fair

Hydrolysis

—

Poor

Sustainability

Recyclability

Recyclable

Industrially compostable

Recycling Code

Carbon Footprint

~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg

Bio-based Content

—

100 %