Comparison
PPO/PPE Standard vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Polyphenylene Oxide / Polyphenylene Ether Standard and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
1.05-1.15 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.05-0.1 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Opaque
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
0.5-1.0 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
2.0-3.0 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
50-70 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
50-100 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
40-70 kJ/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
100-120 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
N/A (amorphous)
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
80-130 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
90-120 °C (1.8 MPa)
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
2.5-2.8
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^15-10^17 Ohm-cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
18-25 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good
Fair
Bases
Good
Poor
Solvents
Fair (aromatics, chlorinated hydrocarbons)
—
UV Resistance
Fair
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Recyclable
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
7 (Other)
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %