Comparison
High Temperature Thermoset Polyimide vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Thermoset Polyimide Resin and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
1.30-1.45 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
0.5-1.5 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Amber to Brown (often opaque)
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
1-3 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
3.0-6.0 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
80-150 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
2-10 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
15-30 J/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
250-400 °C
60 °C
Melting Point
N/A (degrades)
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
250-350 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
200-300 °C
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
3.0-4.0
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^15-10^17 Ohm-cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
15-25 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Good resistance
Fair
Bases
Moderate resistance
Poor
Solvents
Resistant to most organic solvents
—
UV Resistance
Good
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Difficult
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
N/A
7
Carbon Footprint
High
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %