Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Stainless 304
Compare Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Stainless 304 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 | 241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.3GPasourcetypical | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 1,040kg/m³sourcetypical7.72x lighter | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 43.3kN·m/kg44% higher | 30kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.21MN·m/kg | 24MN·m/kg10.9x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | 0.827GPa | 74.2GPa89.7x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.48GPa | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,487m/s | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 84.5µm growth5.62x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.03mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.4W/m | 838W/m39.2x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 94°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (annealed 4 h/80 °C) | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| Values for | INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 general-purpose injection-molding ABS, ISO typical values (TDS revision 08/01/2022) | Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual |
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 Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (5.36x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Stainless 304?
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless 304.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in Stainless 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Stainless 304?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Stainless 304 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) | Stainless 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 10.9x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 19% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.76x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 44% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.52x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 3.34x 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 Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Which expands less with temperature?
Stainless 304 expands less: 16.9 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).