Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Zinc Zamak 3
Compare Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) vs. Zinc Zamak 3 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 | 221MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 283MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C | 10%sourcetypical, in 2 in. |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.3GPasourcetypical | 85.5GPasourcetypical37.2x stiffer |
| Density | 1,040kg/m³sourcetypical6.35x lighter | 6,600kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 43.3kN·m/kg29% higher | 33.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.21MN·m/kg | 13MN·m/kg5.86x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.27sourcetypical, Zamak 3 hot-chamber die cast |
| Shear modulus | 0.827GPa | 33.7GPa40.7x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.48GPa | 62GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,487m/s | 3,599m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical | 113W/m·Ksourcetypical665x more heat through a fin |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange | 27.4µm/m·Ksourcetypical |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 137µm growth3.47x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 419J/kg·Ksourcetypical |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 40.9mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.4W/m | 7,782W/m364x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 381–387°Csourcemelting range |
| 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) | Zamak 3 (ASTM B86 die cast), Nathan Trotter (zinc alloy producer) technical data sheet, 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 Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 is stronger: its yield strength is 221 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (4.91x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Zinc Zamak 3?
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 6,600 kg/m³ for Zinc Zamak 3.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 is stiffer: Young's modulus 85.5 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in Zinc Zamak 3 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) or Zinc Zamak 3?
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; Zinc Zamak 3 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension).
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) | Zinc Zamak 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 5.86x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 4% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.9x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 29% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.2x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.86x 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 Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 conducts heat better: 113 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Which expands less with temperature?
Zinc Zamak 3 expands less: 27.4 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).