| HS Code | 172240 |
| Grade | TERRAMAC TE-7300 |
| Material | Polylactic Acid (PLA) |
| Processing Method | Injection Molding |
| Density | 1.24 g/cm³ |
| Melt Flow Rate | 10-20 g/10 min (190°C/2.16 kg) |
| Melting Point | 210 °C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 60 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature At 0 45 Mpa | 140 °C |
| Heat Deflection Temperature At 1 82 Mpa | 120 °C |
| Vicat Softening Point | 140 °C |
| Tensile Strength | 70 MPa |
| Tensile Modulus | 4.0 GPa |
| Flexural Strength | 110 MPa |
| Flexural Modulus | 4.5 GPa |
| Elongation At Break | 2% |
| Notched Izod Impact Strength | 20 J/m |
| Rockwell Hardness | R110 |
| Molding Shrinkage | 0.3-0.6% |
| Bio Based Content | 100% |
| Moisture Absorption | 0.1% |
As an accredited TERRAMAC TE-7300 High Heat/High Rigidity Injection Molding Polylactic Acid factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | TERRAMAC TE-7300 High Heat/High Rigidity Injection Molding Polylactic Acid is packaged in 25 kg moisture-resistant bags, 40 bags (1,000 kg) per pallet. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | TERRAMAC TE-7300 High Heat/High Rigidity Injection Molding Polylactic Acid loaded in a 20′ FCL, palletized bags, securely stowed for transport. |
| Shipping | TERRAMAC TE-7300 ships as non-hazardous, moisture-sensitive polylactic acid pellets in sealed moisture-barrier bags, usually 25 kg, palletized and shrink-wrapped. Transport and store cool, dry, away from direct sunlight and heat. Not regulated as dangerous goods; keep packaging intact and follow local handling requirements. Avoid prolonged humidity exposure. |
| Storage | Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, ignition sources, and excessive heat. Keep original containers tightly closed to prevent moisture absorption. Protect from humidity and water; PLA can hydrolyze under hot, moist conditions. Use first-in, first-out stock rotation. Avoid prolonged storage above 30°C. Maintain clean, compatible storage conditions. Ensure bags are sealed after opening. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 12–24 months when stored unopened in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture, heat, and sunlight. |
When TERRAMAC TE-7300 is dried to a residual moisture content of 0.025 wt% in a desiccant dryer with a dew point below -40°C and a drying air temperature of 80°C for 4 h to 6 h, hot beverage lid and rigid cutlery tools operating with 4 to 16 cavities can achieve stable short-shot-free filling at melt temperatures between 195°C and 210°C. The injection unit should be sized so that the shot volume represents 30% to 70% of the barrel capacity, because residence times above 15 min at the flat zone cause a measurable reduction in melt viscosity and an increase in flash due to chain scission. Screw speed is kept at 80–120 rpm on a 20:1 to 24:1 L/D screw, and back pressure is limited to 0.5 MPa to avoid excessive shear heating. Hot runner tips are set to 200°C and valve gates are preferred; open hot tips can freeze at the gate during the required crystallization dwell and may produce crystallized plugs that block subsequent shots. The tool is held at 95°C to 110°C so that the molded part reaches useful crystallinity. Amorphous lids molded at 30°C deform under a 0.45 MPa load at 55°C to 60°C when tested according to ISO 75-2:2013 method B, whereas crystallized lids from the same tool at 105°C can tolerate 85°C serving temperatures without visible sink or warpage. Production records from hot-runner multi-cavity lines show that ejection becomes more reliable when core pulls and stripper plates are used instead of simple ejector pins, because the material remains above its glass transition temperature during demolding and can adhere to the A-side under vacuum. U.S. FDA compliance for PLA homopolymer is not established through a 21 CFR listing; direct food-contact clearances are formulation-specific and should be confirmed through the applicable FCN or food-contact substance notification before resin substitution. Finished food service articles are evaluated under EN 1186-1 overall migration testing with total migration not exceeding 10 mg/dm², and under EN 13432 when industrial compostability is claimed.
Thin-wall coffee capsule bodies molded from TE-7300 place conflicting demands on the crystallization cycle. The 0.8 mm to 1.1 mm side wall fills best at high injection speeds of 150 mm/s to 250 mm/s through multiple valve gates; however, high shear heating can lower melt viscosity locally and shorten the cavity pressure trace. A mold temperature of 100°C is required for partial crystallization, but the thin section freezes quickly and limits crystal growth, so the cavity is held at 110 MPa to 130 MPa packing pressure for 0.5 s to 1.0 s after velocity/pressure switchover at 95% to 98% of fill. Hot runner drops are balanced within ±2% by volume because imbalanced flow causes one side of the capsule skirt to remain amorphous and collapse under the 9 bar extraction pressure. Injection molders have reported that mold release pressure is higher on polished surfaces, and that a roughened lip area of 0.4 µm to 0.8 µm Ra improves ejection without visible surface defects. After demolding, capsule bodies are annealed at 100°C for 10 min in forced air to complete crystallinity and to relieve residual hoop stress. The annealed skirt shows less than 0.3 mm diameter change after immersion in 95°C water for 60 s when measured on a coordinate vision system. The wet HDT of PLA is lower than the dry value, so extraction validation must use actual coffee extraction profiles rather than dry ISO 75-2:2013 data alone. Where industrial compostability is claimed, the finished capsule is tested under EN 13432 for disintegration in 12 weeks, and overall migration is tested under (EU) No 10/2011 with a limit of 10 mg/dm².
| Regulation / standard | Test method or clause | Threshold or condition |
|---|---|---|
| (EU) No 10/2011 | Overall migration in food simulants | 10 mg/dm² |
| EN 1186-1 | Overall migration by total immersion | 10 mg/dm² |
| EN 13432 | Biodegradation, disintegration, ecotoxicity | ≥ 90% biodegradation in 180 days; 12 weeks disintegration |
| ISO 75-2:2013 | HDT-B at 0.45 MPa after crystallization | Report value; no fixed threshold |
In rigid cosmetic jar and cap molding with TE-7300, the high stiffness allows wall thickness reduction from 2.5 mm to 2.0 mm in cylindrical side walls while maintaining top-load performance above 300 N on a universal tester. The material is dried to 0.02 wt% moisture and injected at 195°C into hardened cavities polished to 0.1 µm Ra. Mold temperature is held at 90°C to 100°C for dimensional stability under warehouse temperatures up to 45°C. Packing pressure is set to 80 MPa with a 2 s gate seal time, and the screw position is adjusted to avoid overpacking the center gate, which otherwise generates radial stress cracks during ejection. Parting-line vents are cut to 0.02 mm depth because higher residual moisture above 0.03 wt% causes splay in thick base sections. Colored masterbatches must be dried separately, and inorganic pigments should be selected because some organic colorants migrate and weaken the surface. Under REACH Annex XVII, heavy metal release from pigmented closures is checked by EN 71-3 if the packaging is intended for child-accessible cosmetic articles. The same tooling can be used for amorphous glossy closures by lowering the mold to 35°C, but the resulting parts exhibit lower top-load and may deform when shipped in summer containers exceeding 55°C.
TE-7300 is injection molded into component handling trays, snap-fit cable clips, and internal brackets for consumer electronics logistics. The flexural modulus of unfilled TE-7300 is typically above 4000 MPa under ISO 178, which permits snap-fit beam lengths to be reduced by 10% to 12% compared with standard amorphous PLA. However, notched Izod impact under ISO 180/1A remains in the range of 2.5 kJ/m² to 3.5 kJ/m², so cold-temperature assembly below 5°C should be avoided, and high-impact applications require a compounded rubber-toughening system. The molding window for tray grids with 1.5 mm ribs uses a melt temperature of 200°C, mold temperature of 80°C, and injection speed of 60 mm/s to prevent jetting at the sub-runner. If electrostatic dissipative properties are required, 2 wt% to 5 wt% conductive carbon black is added via masterbatch, which raises melt viscosity and can lower tensile strength by 10% to 15% under ISO 527-2. Unfilled TE-7300 should not be specified where UL 94 V-0 is required; without flame retardant additives, the grade typically exhibits only HB classification under IEC 60695-11-10. Conditioning before measurement should follow ISO 291 at 23°C and 50% RH for 48 h, because PLA mechanical data are sensitive to moisture uptake above 0.05 wt%.
Automotive interior trim covers and non-safety seat side shields have been trialed with TE-7300 in low-humidity environments. The dry heat deflection temperature above 100°C at 0.45 MPa is attractive for parts that sit near HVAC outlets, but long-term aging under humid conditions remains the primary limitation. Samples exposed to 70°C and 85% RH for 500 h can show embrittlement because polylactic acid undergoes hydrolytic chain scission; published data for this specific grade under humid aging is limited, so each interior location should be validated with tensile strength retention measured under ISO 527-2 before tool release. Horizontal burn rate is evaluated under ISO 3795, with an acceptance criterion of 100 mm/min for interior materials, and odor and VOC emission are assessed under OEM-specific methods derived from VDA 270 and VDA 278. Molding is performed at 200°C into tools held at 100°C to achieve crystallization; however, at this mold temperature the part can stick to the core, so side-action release angles of 1° to 2° are often increased over amorphous PLA. Because PLA has lower scratch resistance than PC/ABS or PP/EPDM, textured grain depth should be at least 0.1 mm to hide surface marring. Parts must not be exposed to direct flame or to continuous service above 90°C without accelerated aging verification.
Single-use diagnostic instrument housings and surgical handpiece casings are injection molded from TE-7300 in ISO Class 8 cleanroom operations using a melt temperature of 200°C and a mold temperature of 95°C. The material is selected for its high rigidity, allowing wall sections of 1.2 mm to 1.5 mm to be used instead of thicker amorphous PLA. After molding, residual moisture is dried to below 0.05 wt% under vacuum before packaging. Sterilization is by ethylene oxide rather than gamma irradiation because gamma at 25 kGy can induce measurable chain scission and reduce notched Izod impact. EtO processing at 55°C and 60% RH followed by forced aeration at 40°C for 12 h is used to remove residual sterilant. Dimensional stability is checked with a coordinate measuring machine before and after sterilization; linear change is normally less than 0.2% when crystallinity was fully developed in the mold. Biocompatibility assessment follows ISO 10993-1, with cytotoxicity under ISO 10993-5 and skin irritation under ISO 10993-10. Steam autoclaving is not acceptable for this material because hydrolytic degradation occurs within 30 min at 121°C. The housings are not intended for reuse, and repeated cleaning with quaternary ammonium disinfectants should be validated for stress cracking resistance under ISO 22088-3.
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TERRAMAC TE-7300 High Heat/High Rigidity Injection Molding Polylactic Acid is a high-crystallinity, unfilled PLA compound supplied by Unitika Ltd. for injection molding applications in which standard amorphous PLA grades fail to meet thermal distortion and stiffness requirements. The grade is formulated to shift the heat deflection temperature under 1.8 MPa from the amorphous PLA range of 50–60 °C to a dry-as-molded range that typically exceeds 100 °C, as determined by ISO 75-2:2013 on edgewise test specimens conditioned at 23 °C and 50 % RH. The material is supplied as pellets and must be processed with closed-loop desiccant drying; moisture content above 250 ppm at the hopper leads to hydrolytic molar mass reduction, viscosity loss, flash development, and reduced HDT stability. The high-rigidity profile is achieved without inorganic filler, which differentiates TE-7300 from talc-reinforced PLA compounds that increase density and reduce surface clarity while improving flexural modulus. The resulting density is approximately 1.25–1.28 g/cm³ under ISO 1183-1:2019, placing the grade between standard unfilled PLA and filled PET grades, with a flexural modulus that approaches semicrystalline PET but with a biobased carbon fraction reported by the supplier under ASTM D6866-21 or ISO 16620-2:2019.
Barrel set points lower than 190 °C produce insufficient melt homogeneity and may leave unmelted high-crystallinity domains that obstruct non-return valve sealing and create injection pressure instability. Above 220 °C, thermal degradation of PLA accelerates through random chain scission, producing lactide and acetaldehyde; the melt viscosity drops and the part surface can exhibit silver streaking, brown discoloration, and reduced mechanical strength. In production-scale trials on a 1000 kN hydraulic press with a 40 mm screw and 20:1 L/D, screw speed was limited to 150 min⁻¹ and back pressure was maintained at 0.5–1.0 MPa to limit shear heating. The melt temperature measured by an immersion probe at the nozzle was 212 °C when the barrel set point was 205 °C, confirming a shear-induced temperature rise of 7 K. Residence time above 220 °C should not exceed 5 min; purging with a high-viscosity PLA or LDPE when interruptions exceed the residence limit is preferred.
A general-purpose screw with a compression ratio of 2.0–2.5:1 and a check-ring non-return valve is acceptable; screws with high-shear dispersion elements are not required because the nucleation package disperses without intensive mixing. The recommended barrel temperature profile from feed to nozzle is 180–190 °C, 190–200 °C, 200–210 °C, 200–215 °C, and nozzle 205–220 °C. Mold temperature is the controlling variable for crystallinity and HDT: the tool should be held between 90 °C and 110 °C using pressurized water or oil thermoregulators. Crystallization half-time at 100 °C is significantly shorter than for unmodified PLLA homopolymer, allowing dry-as-molded HDT values above 100 °C without post-mold annealing. Part wall sections below 1.2 mm may require mold temperatures near the upper boundary and extended hold times to offset rapid solidification; sections above 4 mm can retain core heat and develop internal voids if the holding pressure drops below 50 MPa.
When the barrel is heated from a cold start, the first five shots often show unstable peak injection pressure and reduced HDT because residual moisture in the feed throat and screw root is not removed by the desiccant dryer alone. Purging with 2–3 kg of dried regrind or virgin material at 190 °C before production stabilizes the melt viscosity. On a 2000 kN electric injection molding machine with a 32 mm screw, injection speed was set to 80–120 mm/s for a 2.5 mm wall electrical connector housing; fill time was 0.8–1.2 s, and switchover to holding pressure occurred at 95–98 % of full part volume to avoid overpacking. Holding pressure was 60–80 MPa for 6–8 s, and cooling time was 25–35 s. The resulting parts had a flexural modulus of 4.1 GPa and a heat deflection temperature under 1.8 MPa of 106 °C; parts molded with mold temperature below 80 °C dropped to 88 °C HDT, demonstrating the sensitivity of high-heat performance to tool surface temperature rather than barrel temperature alone.
If the dry-as-molded heat deflection temperature is insufficient for the service environment, TE-7300 parts can be annealed in a forced-air oven at 100–120 °C for 30–120 min to complete secondary crystallization and raise HDT values by 10–30 K; however, dimensional change of 0.2–0.8 % occurs, and unsupported flat parts distort. Annealing must be performed on temperature-controlled support fixtures, with heating and cooling rates below 2 K/min to minimize warpage. The process is not recommended for parts with wall-thickness transitions greater than 2:1 unless fixture design constrains both faces. After annealing at 110 °C for 1 h, the heat deflection temperature under 0.45 MPa has been reported to approach 130–140 °C, while the 1.8 MPa value can approach 120 °C; published data for this specific configuration is limited and must be verified on finished parts because geometry, gate location, and internal stress distribution alter the measured thermal distortion.
Table 1 reports representative dry-as-molded properties for TERRAMAC TE-7300 alongside standard unfilled PLA and unfilled semicrystalline PET, using ISO 10350-1:2017 specimen preparation and conditioning. The data are compiled from supplier technical bulletins and polymer datasheet averages; TE-7300 values should be confirmed against the batch certificate because moisture, mold temperature, and annealing shift the measured values.
| Property | Test method | TERRAMAC TE-7300 | Standard PLA | Unfilled PET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | ISO 1183-1:2019 | 1.27 g/cm³ | 1.24 g/cm³ | 1.34 g/cm³ |
| Tensile modulus | ISO 527-2/1A | 4.2 GPa | 3.5 GPa | 2.8 GPa |
| Tensile strength | ISO 527-2/1A | 68 MPa | 60 MPa | 55 MPa |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178:2019 | 4.5 GPa | 3.6 GPa | 2.7 GPa |
| Flexural strength | ISO 178:2019 | 105 MPa | 95 MPa | 80 MPa |
| HDT-A, 1.8 MPa | ISO 75-2:2013 | 108 °C | 55 °C | 70 °C |
| HDT-B, 0.45 MPa | ISO 75-2:2013 | 135 °C | 65 °C | 75 °C |
| Charpy notched impact | ISO 179-1/1eA | 4 kJ/m² | 3 kJ/m² | 3 kJ/m² |
In injection molding trials on a 1000 kN hydraulic press, mold temperature uniformity across the cavity was measured with a 6-zone thermoregulator and found to vary by ±5 K, producing HDT differences of 8 K between the gate area and the end-of-fill. This is a critical scale-up feature: high-heat PLA exhibits a property cliff-edge if mold surface temperature drops below 90 °C because the crystallization rate falls sharply. The thermal gate area may reach 112 °C under shear heating, while the end-of-fill stays at 96 °C; this can create differential shrinkage and warpage in long parts. Reducing mold temperature to 75 °C for cycle-time relief is not compatible with the high-heat specification and typically lowers HDT below 90 °C, effectively negating the grade selection.
Regrind of TE-7300 can be re-introduced at up to 20 wt% with virgin pellets if the regrind is generated from dry, uncontaminated runners and sprues and is re-dried under the same conditions as virgin material. Higher regrind fractions reduce the melt viscosity and notched impact strength; experience on a 500 kN all-electric machine with a 25 mm screw showed that 30 wt% regrind produced a 12 % reduction in Charpy notched impact and visible surface splay when the regrind moisture content exceeded 400 ppm. Powdered colorants and additive masterbatches must be selected for PLA compatibility; polar pigments can accelerate hydrolytic degradation at processing temperatures if they carry bound moisture. Avoid compounding with amine-based nucleating agents or certain metal stearates that interfere with the crystallization package and may lower HDT. The material is not recommended for continuous contact with boiling water, strong acids, or alkaline cleaning solutions above 60 °C, because PLA undergoes hydrolytic chain scission in aqueous environments at elevated temperature. RoHS 2011/65/EU and REACH SVHC status should be obtained from the product safety data sheet for the specific batch and colorant combination.
For food-contact applications, conformity under FDA 21 CFR or European Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 must be confirmed for the finished article, including the specific grade, colorant package, and processing conditions. General PLA homopolymer compliance does not automatically extend to high-crystallinity compounds because nucleation additives and degradation products can alter overall migration behavior. In regulatory submissions, the supplier should provide composition and migration data under the intended worst-case time-temperature condition, and the converter should verify that the injection molding process does not generate surface lactide above the applicable specific migration limit.
Compared with talc-filled PLA compounds at 20 wt% talc, TE-7300 offers lower density and better surface appearance but a lower flexural modulus; a mineral-filled PLA can reach 5.5–6.0 GPa flexural modulus, while TE-7300 remains near 4.5 GPa. The high-heat performance is derived from crystallization and not from filler reinforcement, which means warpage is often lower than talc-filled PLA because the isotropic shrinkage of the unfilled matrix is not complicated by platelet orientation. Compared with ABS, TE-7300 provides similar HDT under 1.8 MPa and higher flexural modulus, but its notched Izod impact strength is significantly lower; impact-modified PLA or ABS is required for snap-fit features encountering high strain-rate loading. The material has a narrow processing window compared with general-purpose PLA and requires heated molds, which increases cycle time and tooling cost. These differences make TE-7300 suitable for stiffness-limited and heat-limited parts such as precision electrical housings, appliance support frames, lighting components, and automotive interior brackets where mineral filler or petroleum-based engineering resin substitution is assessed.
