Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Copper C110
Compare Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Copper C110 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 | 69MPasourcetypical, 0.5% extension under load |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 221MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C | 55%sourcetypical, 1 in. rod |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.3GPasourcetypical | 117GPasourcetypical51x stiffer |
| Density | 1,040kg/m³sourcetypical | 8,913kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 43.3kN·m/kg5.59x higher | 7.74kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.21MN·m/kg | 13.1MN·m/kg5.95x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.34sourcereference value at room temperature (Wieland-K32 = Cu-ETP = C11000, rolled products) |
| Shear modulus | 0.827GPa | 43.7GPa52.9x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.48GPa | 122GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,487m/s | 3,626m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical | 391W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 84.5µm growth5.62x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 385J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 114mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.4W/m | 8,992W/m421x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,065–1,083°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) | C11000 ETP copper, annealed to 0.050 mm grain size (OS050), 1 in. rod, 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 Copper C110?
Copper C110 is stronger: its yield strength is 69 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (1.53x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Copper C110?
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 8,913 kg/m³ for Copper C110.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Copper C110?
Copper C110 is stiffer: Young's modulus 117 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in Copper C110 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Copper C110?
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; Copper C110 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension).
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) | Copper C110 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 5.95x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 20% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.31x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 5.59x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 6.45x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 6.92x 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 Copper C110?
Copper C110 conducts heat better: 391 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Which expands less with temperature?
Copper C110 expands less: 16.9 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).