Poly Lactic Acid [PLA]
Details
Polylactic acid (PLA) (is derived from corn and is biodegradable) is another well-spread material among 3D printing enthusiasts. It is a biodegradable thermoplastic that is derived from renewable resources.
As a result PLA materials are more environmentally friendly among other plastic materials. The other great feature of PLA is its biocompatibility with a human body.
The structure of PLA is harder than the one of ABS and material melts at 180 – 220°C which is lower than ABS. PLA glass transition temperature is between 60 – 65 ° C, so PLA together with ABS could be some good options for any of your projects.
Tech Specifications
- Density - 1.3 g/cm³ (81 lb/ft³)
- Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus - 2.0 to 2.6 GPa (0.29 to 0.38 x 10³ psi)
- Elongation at Break - 6.0 %
- Flexural Modulus - 4.0 GPa (0.58 x 10⁶ psi)
- Flexural Strength - 80 MPa (12 x 10³ psi)
- Glass Transition Temperature - 60 °C (140 °F)
- Heat Deflection Temperature At 455 kPa (66 psi) - 65 °C (150 °F)
- Melting Onset (Solidus) - 160 °C (320 °F)
- Shear Modulus- 2.4 GPa (0.35 x 10⁶ psi)
- Specific Heat Capacity - 1800 J/kg-K
- Strength to Weight Ratio - 38 kN-m/kg
- Tensile Strength : Ultimate (UTS) - 50 MPa (7.3 x 10³ psi)
- Thermal Conductivity - 0.13 W/m-K
- Thermal Diffusivity - 0.056
Material Properties of Poly Lactic Acid [PLA]
- Temperature - 180°C
- Flow Tweak - 0.95
- Bed Temperature - 60°C
- Bed Preparation - apply glue stick 2 layer