Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Brass C360
Compare Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Brass C360 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 | 45MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield 23 °C | 310MPasourcetypical, 0.5% extension under load |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 400MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C | 25%sourcetypical, 1 in. rod |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.3GPasourcetypical | 96.5GPasourcetypical, temper-independent |
| Density | 1,040kg/m³sourcetypical | 8,498kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 43.3kN·m/kg19% higher | 36.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.21MN·m/kg | 11.4MN·m/kg5.13x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.34sourcebase material: leaded free-machining brass CuZn39Pb2 (C37700), Wieland-Z30 rolled products, reference value at room temperature |
| Shear modulus | 0.827GPa | 36GPa43.5x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.48GPa | 101GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,487m/s | 3,370m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical | 116W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange | 20.5µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 103µm growth4.63x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 377J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 36.2mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.4W/m | 11,997W/m562x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 888–899°Csourcesolidus-liquidus |
| Max service temperature | 94°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (annealed 4 h/80 °C) | not sourced |
| Values for | INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 general-purpose injection-molding ABS, ISO typical values (TDS revision 08/01/2022) | C36000 free-cutting brass, H02 half-hard rod 1 in. section (20% cold work), copper.org typical values |
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.
Questions
Is Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) stronger than Brass C360?
Brass C360 is stronger: its yield strength is 310 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (6.89x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Brass C360?
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 8,498 kg/m³ for Brass C360.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Brass C360?
Brass C360 is stiffer: Young's modulus 96.5 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in Brass C360 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Brass C360?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Brass C360 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension).
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) | Brass C360 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 5.13x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 26% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.35x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 19% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.26x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 3.11x 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 conducts heat better, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Brass C360?
Brass C360 conducts heat better: 116 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Which expands less with temperature?
Brass C360 expands less: 20.5 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).