At One Place

PLA

Density of PLA
1,240 kg/m³ (1,210–1,300)
1.24 g/cm³ · 77.4 lb/ft³

Made from fermented plant sugar rather than oil, and stiffer and stronger in short-term tension than ABS, which surprises people who assume the eco material is the weaker one. Its weakness is heat: it starts to soften around 60 °C, so a PLA part left in a parked car in summer will droop. "Compostable" means industrially compostable at 58 °C with controlled humidity — in a garden heap or a landfill it lasts for years.

Properties

Density
1,240 kg/m³ (1,210–1,300) — 1.24 g/cm³
Melting range
150–165 °C
Tensile strength
45–70 MPa
Young's modulus
3.5 GPa
Thermal conductivity
0.13 W/(m·K)
Thermal expansion
68 µm/(m·K)
Floats in water
No
Magnetic
No

What it is used for

  • Desktop 3D printing filament
  • Compostable food packaging and cutlery
  • Disposable cups and lids
  • Prototype and display parts

How it compares

Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything with a shorter bar than water floats in it.

air 1.2 kg/m³
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³
Water — the float line 1,000 kg/m³
PLA 1,240 kg/m³
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³
gold 19,300 kg/m³
platinum 21,450 kg/m³
Water is 1,000 kg/m³. Anything below that floats.
Material Density Relative to water
rigid polyurethane foam 40 kg/m³ 0.04×
expanded polystyrene foam 20 kg/m³ 0.02×
air 1.2 kg/m³ 0.00×
PLA ← 1,240 kg/m³ 1.24×
platinum 21,450 kg/m³ 21.45×
gold 19,300 kg/m³ 19.30×
tungsten 19,250 kg/m³ 19.25×

Does it rust?

PLA contains no iron, so it cannot rust. Whether it degrades depends on the material, not on oxidation.

Is it magnetic?

PLA is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

Common questions

What is the density of PLA?
1,240 kg/m³ (1,210–1,300), or 1.24 g/cm³.
Does PLA float?
No. At 1,240 kg/m³ it is denser than water.
Is PLA magnetic?
PLA is not a metal and has no ferromagnetic response.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked