Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. Brick
Compare Plastic ABS vs. Brick strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) |
| Compressive strength | not sourced | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg14.1x higher | 2.45kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.706GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 2.97GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,336m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 36µm growth13.2x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.585mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 101°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| Values for | Ultimaker ABS, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS v5.00, April 20, 2022. | Solid extruded clay/shale brick units (BIA 1993 manufacturer survey, TN 3A 2024); face brick of 130 lb/ft3 for thermal properties (BIA TN 4, from ASHRAE 2013); CTE is the TMS Code value for clay/shale masonry |
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.
Plastic ABS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic ABS stronger than Brick?
Plastic ABS is stronger: its yield strength is 38.1 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (7.47x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or Brick?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or Brick?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | Brick |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 14.1x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 7.23x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 5.17x 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 or Brick?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.