Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Steel A992
Compare Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Steel A992 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 | 385MPasourcetypical: mean of 20,295 A992 flange mill-test coupons (1998 SSPC survey), as reported by AISC |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 505MPasourcetypical: mean of 20,295 A992 flange mill-test coupons (1998 SSPC survey) |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.3GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcedesign value (AISC 360-16) |
| Density | 1,040kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,850kg/m³sourcenominal (constructional data) |
| Strength to weight | 43.3kN·m/kg | 49kN·m/kg13% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.21MN·m/kg | 25.5MN·m/kg11.5x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcedesign value (AISC 360-16 Commentary) |
| Shear modulus | 0.827GPa | 76.9GPa93x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.48GPa | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,487m/s | 5,048m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical | 48W/m·Ksourcenominal at 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange | 12µm/m·Ksourcenominal (constructional data, no temperature range stated) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 60µm growth7.92x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 460–480J/kg·Ksourcebase material: EN S275JR unalloyed structural steel (the EN counterpart of A36), typical, 50/100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 13mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.4W/m | 5,390W/m252x more resistant |
| 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) | ASTM A992 W-shapes; Fy/Fu specified minimums from AISC publications (AISC 360-16 Commentary; Modern Steel Construction); elastic constants AISC 360; physical constants from the bauforumstahl structural-steel EPD, which names A992 among covered product standards. |
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 Steel A992?
Steel A992 is stronger: its yield strength is 385 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (8.56x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Steel A992?
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 7,850 kg/m³ for Steel A992.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Steel A992?
Steel A992 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in Steel A992 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Steel A992?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel A992 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) | Steel A992 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 11.5x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 24% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.7x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 13% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.8x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.58x 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 Steel A992?
Steel A992 conducts heat better: 48 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel A992 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).