Comparison
General Purpose Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene TPE vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) block copolymer and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
0.91 - 0.95 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.3 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Opaque
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
1.0 - 2.0 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
0.001 - 0.02 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
2 - 7 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
500 - 900 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
Poor to Fair
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
-55 to -50 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
N/A (softening point around 80-100 °C)
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
-40 to 70 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
N/A
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
2.6 - 3.0
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^14 - 10^16 Ohm-cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15 - 25 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good
Fair
Bases
Good
Poor
Solvents
Resists water, dilute acids/bases; dissolves in aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons
—
UV Resistance
Poor
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Limited (often blended)
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
7 (Other)
7
Carbon Footprint
Moderate
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %