Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. SLA Resin Elastic 50A
Compare Plastic PLA vs. SLA Resin Elastic 50A strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 3.4MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 160%sourcetypical20.5x more ductile |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,010kg/m³sourcetypical23% lighter |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg12.6x higher | 3.37kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,619m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | 152°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 59.1°Csourcetypical | -34.5°CsourceDMA |
| Max service temperature | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| Values for | Ultimaker PLA, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat) orientation; Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS dated April 20, 2022. | Formlabs Elastic 50A Resin V2 (FLELCL02), TDS Rev. 01 24.01.2024; parts printed on Form 3, 100 µm, Elastic 50A V2 settings and post-processing; tensile on Die C specimens cut from printed sheets after 3+ h at 23 °C. |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Plastic PLA and SLA Resin Elastic 50A are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic PLA stronger than SLA Resin Elastic 50A?
Plastic PLA is stronger: its yield strength is 52.5 MPa against tensile strength 3.4 MPa for SLA Resin Elastic 50A (15.4x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or SLA Resin Elastic 50A?
SLA Resin Elastic 50A is lighter: 1,010 kg/m³ against 1,240 kg/m³ for Plastic PLA.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or SLA Resin Elastic 50A?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | SLA Resin Elastic 50A |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 12.6x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 5.05x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 3.2x heavier |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which is more ductile, Plastic PLA or SLA Resin Elastic 50A?
SLA Resin Elastic 50A stretches further before it breaks: 160% elongation at break against 7.8% for Plastic PLA.