What Temperature Does PLA Melt At?
The three temperature points
- Glass transition (~55 C): PLA starts to soften
- Melting point (~170 C): PLA is fully liquid in pure form
- Print temp (200 to 220 C): above the melt for clean extrusion
Why the softening point matters more than the melting point
A PLA part does not need to melt to fail. It just needs to soften. The inside of a parked Australian car easily exceeds 55 C in summer, which is enough for a PLA mount to warp out of shape. This is why PLA is not the right pick for car interiors, garage storage in summer, or anything in direct sun.
Annealing extends the range
HTPLA (heat-treatable PLA) can be baked at 100 to 110 C to crystallise the polymer, raising the softening point to 130 C or more. Standard PLA can also be annealed but shrinks unpredictably.
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All PLA, HTPLA. Related: Annealing PLA for strength.