Comparison
rHDPE PCR Colored (Blue) vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Recycled High-Density Polyethylene Post-Consumer Recycled Colored (Blue) and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
0.940-0.965 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.01-0.03 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Opaque
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
1.5-3.0 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
0.9-1.5 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
20-35 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
200-600 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
10-25 J/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
-120 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
125-135 °C
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
60-80 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
40-50 °C (0.45 MPa)
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
2.25-2.35
3.0
Volume Resistivity
>10^15 Ohm·cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-25 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Excellent
Fair
Bases
Excellent
Poor
Solvents
Good resistance to most organic solvents at room temperature
—
UV Resistance
Moderate (can degrade with prolonged UV exposure)
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Highly Recyclable
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
2 (HDPE)
7
Carbon Footprint
Significantly lower than virgin HDPE
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %