VeryGreen™ VG7213 is a semi-durable, general-purpose high-heat polylactic acid grade intended for injection molding and extrusion applications in which unmodified amorphous PLA grades exhibit insufficient thermal resistance. The manufacturer designates the material as a nucleated PLA formulation with controlled melt rheology; the high-heat classification derives from a nominal heat deflection temperature under 0.45 MPa load using ISO 75-2:2013 Method B that is approximately 35–45 °C above conventional PLA after mold-temperature-assisted crystallization. Supplied as cylindrical pellets with a nominal density of 1.25 g/cm³, the grade is dried to 250 ppm residual moisture before processing. The intended use envelope includes semi-durable equipment housings, consumer electronics interior brackets, appliance trim, and other non-structural parts requiring dimensional stability during intermittent heat exposure rather than continuous load-bearing service above the glass transition. The product differs from general-purpose PLA in crystallization speed, from high-impact PLA in notched impact response, and from ABS in lower notch sensitivity and lower continuous service temperature under humid or aqueous exposure.

What Are the Published Specification Limits for the VG7213 Grade?

The manufacturer’s technical data sheet lists nominal properties conditioned at 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity unless otherwise indicated. Values should be treated as lot-average data from injection-molded Type 1A specimens of 4.0 mm thickness, not as design minima.

Property	Test method	Unit	Nominal value
Density	ISO 1183-1:2019	g/cm³	1.25
Melt volume-flow rate, 190 °C/2.16 kg	ISO 1133-1:2022	cm³/10 min	9–14
Tensile stress at yield	ISO 527-2:2012	MPa	61
Tensile modulus	ISO 527-2:2012	GPa	3.5
Tensile elongation at break	ISO 527-2:2012	%	4.0
Flexural modulus	ISO 178:2019	GPa	3.8
Notched Charpy impact, 23 °C	ISO 179-1:2020	kJ/m²	3.2
Heat deflection temperature, 0.45 MPa	ISO 75-2:2013 Method B	°C	96
Heat deflection temperature, 1.80 MPa	ISO 75-2:2013 Method A	°C	68
Vicat softening temperature, 50 N	ISO 306:2022 A50	°C	102
Moisture content after drying	Karl Fischer titration	ppm	250
Mold shrinkage, parallel/normal	ISO 294-4:2018	%	0.2–0.4

Property data obtained on undried pellets with moisture above 0.05 % (500 ppm) typically show reduced melt strength and lower elongation at break. The heat deflection values are reported on dry-as-molded specimens and are not direct continuous-use temperature ratings. Processing on production-scale reciprocating screw injection molding machines with 20:1 to 24:1 L/D ratios and compression ratios of 2.5:1 to 3.0:1 is recommended. Barrel temperature zones from feed to nozzle are typically set at 180, 190, 195, 200, and 210 °C; mold temperatures are held between 90 and 110 °C to produce the crystallinity needed for the stated heat deflection temperature. When mold temperature falls below 80 °C, crystallization is incomplete and the 0.45 MPa HDT can drop to 55–60 °C, approaching that of unmodified amorphous PLA. Hydraulic clamp force requirements are not materially different from general-purpose PLA of comparable melt viscosity. The supplier reports no unusual flow-length restriction in thin-wall sections down to 1.2 mm when gate velocity is maintained at 80–120 mm/s. Packing pressure of 70–100 MPa hydraulic pressure is sufficient for single-cavity parts with projected area up to 80 cm²; larger projected areas require packing studies. Hot-runner systems should use externally heated manifolds with independent tip control to avoid stagnant molten polymer, and direct sprue gating is acceptable for single-cavity tooling.

Thermal Degradation and Crystallization Kinetics Define the Operating Envelope

Polylactic acid degrades through hydrolysis, random chain scission, and ester-group β-elimination, with degradation rate increasing sharply above 240 °C. For VG7213, the manufacturer specifies a maximum melt temperature of 230 °C and a maximum melt residence time of 8 min at that temperature. When barrel temperatures exceed 240 °C, melt volume-flow rate can increase by 15–25 % within 10 min, indicating molecular weight loss. Drying uses desiccant dryers with dew point below −40 °C, air flow of 0.5 m³/h per kg/h throughput, and pellet bed temperature of 80 °C for 4 h. At ambient relative humidity above 60 %, drying time should be extended to 6 h and residual moisture measured by Karl Fischer titration before processing. Crystallinity development is non-linear with mold temperature: at 100 °C mold temperature, demolding after 15–20 s generally yields sufficient crystallinity for the cited HDT; at 90 °C, required cooling time increases to 25–35 s. Post-mold annealing at 110 °C for 1–2 h can raise the 0.45 MPa HDT by an additional 5–10 °C, while increasing shrinkage by 0.1–0.2 percentage points; tool compensation is required when annealing is planned.

When VG7213 Replaces Standard PLA or ABS in Non-Structural Housings

Compared with unmodified amorphous PLA, the principal difference is not biodegradability but the crystallization window. Standard amorphous PLA commonly exhibits a 0.45 MPa HDT near 53–58 °C and can distort during paint bake or hot-vehicle exposure; VG7213 tolerates short excursions to 90 °C when the part is not under continuous structural load. Compared with general-purpose ABS, VG7213 has lower notched impact strength, higher tensile modulus, similar HDT under 0.45 MPa, and lower resistance to hot water. ABS retains more room-temperature impact after exposure to 80 °C water, whereas PLA-based resin undergoes hydrolytic degradation and should not be specified for continuous immersion above 60 °C. Substituting VG7213 for ABS in an enclosure requires rib radii and gate placement adjustments because the Charpy notched impact value is lower; increasing nominal wall thickness from 2.0 mm to 2.5 mm or adding radiused corners is recommended to preserve drop-test performance. Among high-heat PLA grades, the general-purpose melt flow and controlled nucleation package differentiate VG7213. Some mineral-filled high-heat PLA grades raise density above 1.35 g/cm³ and reduce flow length; VG7213 remains at 1.25 g/cm³ and exhibits lower viscous heating.

Material	HDT at 0.45 MPa	Notched Charpy, 23 °C	Nominal density	Typical mold shrinkage
VG7213	96 °C	3.2 kJ/m²	1.25 g/cm³	0.2–0.4 %
Standard PLA	55 °C	2.8 kJ/m²	1.24 g/cm³	0.3–0.5 %
Mineral-filled high-heat PLA	85 °C	2.5 kJ/m²	1.38 g/cm³	0.4–0.6 %
General-purpose ABS	97 °C	15 kJ/m²	1.05 g/cm³	0.4–0.7 %

The comparative values are nominal supplier or typical industrial reference ranges. Direct material substitution requires identical specimen preparation and testing under the relevant ISO methods. VG7213 is supplied under the manufacturer’s REACH registration and RoHS conformity documentation. The material is not formulated with cadmium, lead, mercury, or hexavalent chromium above the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU Annex II threshold of 0.1 wt% in homogeneous material. Phthalate restriction compliance should be confirmed at article level for consumer products. The grade is not classified as hazardous under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008; the supplier provides a Safety Data Sheet for extruder off-gas exposure assessment. If the part is intended for food-contact use, migration testing under EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 is application-specific, and final compliance belongs to the food-contact article manufacturer; published migration data for this specific configuration is limited across food simulants. Operational limitations include exposure to aqueous environments above 60 °C, continuous ultraviolet exposure without stabilizer, and contact with strong alkaline cleaning solutions above pH 9. Under these conditions, hydrolysis and surface etching accelerate. The part should not be specified for continuous load-bearing service above 55 °C because creep modulus decreases near the glass transition. Published data for this specific configuration is limited below −20 °C; low-temperature impact testing is recommended before specifying exterior parts in cold climates.