Comparison
Urea-Formaldehyde UV Stable vs PLA
A side-by-side comparison of Urea-Formaldehyde Resin and Polylactic Acid.
Physical
Density
1.45-1.55 g/cm³
1.24 g/cm³
Water Absorption (24h)
1.5-3.0 %
0.5 %
Transparency
Clear to Off-White
Semi-transparent
Shrinkage
5-8 %
0.3 – 0.5 %
Mechanical
Young's Modulus
6-12 GPa
3.5 GPa
Tensile Strength
50-80 MPa
50 – 65 MPa
Elongation at Break
0.5-2.0 %
6 %
Impact Strength (Izod)
3-8 J/m
16 J/m
Flexural Strength
—
80 MPa
Thermal
Glass Transition Temperature
Undetermined (Degradation)
60 °C
Melting Point
N/A
150 – 160 °C
Continuous Service Temperature
60-100 °C
45 °C
Heat Deflection Temperature
40-80 °C
55 °C
Electrical
Dielectric Constant
5.5-7.0
3.0
Volume Resistivity
10^8-10^11 Ohm-cm
10¹⁴ Ω·cm
Dielectric Strength
9-15 kV/mm
—
Chemical resistance
Acids
Poor resistance
Fair
Bases
Poor resistance
Poor
Solvents
Resistant to hydrocarbons, swells in polar solvents
—
UV Resistance
Poor
Poor
Alcohols
—
Fair
Hydrolysis
—
Poor
Sustainability
Recyclability
Difficult
Industrially compostable
Recycling Code
N/A
7
Carbon Footprint
Low to Moderate (Formaldehyde concerns)
~1.6 kg CO₂e / kg
Bio-based Content
—
100 %