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PLA

PLA

1 6.5
A biodegradable plastic used for 3D printing and packaging
  • noun
  • /piːˌɛlˈeɪ/
  • Specialized
: ácido poliláctico
  • FDM models were printed using a CubeX printer (3D Systems, USA) with PLA plastic.
  • polylactic acid PLA
  • PLA model
  • compared with PLA

It's that PETG opposed to PLA, which a lot of people use.

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Examples

  • The PLA mandible models in our study were very accurate without the use of a strut.

    Academic text (2015)

  • PLA is a biodegradable plastic widely used in PLA 3D printing and packaging.

  • So this is hollow inside this light PLA material.

  • PLA is a better choice than ABS.

    Blog text (16)

  • So I printed it in white PLA filament, crossed my fingers and took it to my bedroom to give it a try.

  • I've put in PLA, the bioplastic polylactic acid.

  • PLA is a plant-based plastic, which is hard and brittle once extruded.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Compared with ABS, PLA is less flexible with a lower melting temperature and undergoes hydrolysis when exposed to water (9).

    Academic text (2015)

  • Polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) are the two thermoplastics most commonly used in FDM printing.

    Academic text (2015)

  • In our workshop, we experimented with PLA to create a variety of eco-friendly prototypes.

Surface Forms

PLA singular
PLAs plural

Morphology

PLA = P + L + A

PLA is an acronym/initialism (polylactic acid); the letters do not themselves convey the meaning to learners unless they know the expanded form.

Etymology

The word PLA stands for polylactic acid. The part poly- means 'many' and lactic comes from a word for 'milk', so PLA is a plastic made from many lactic units often from plants, which is why it can break down naturally.