Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. Nickel Inconel 718
Compare Plastic ABS vs. Nickel Inconel 718 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 | 38.1MPasourcetypical | 1,207MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. hot-rolled bar, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 1,389MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | 20%sourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical | 8,221kg/m³sourcenominal, annealed and aged |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg | 147kN·m/kg4.24x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg | 24.3MN·m/kg13.6x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.294sourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged |
| Shear modulus | 0.706GPa | 77.3GPa109x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 2.97GPa | 162GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,336m/s | 4,932m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | 11.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged (calculated from resistivity per footnote a) |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | 13.2µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 21-93 °C, annealed + aged |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 66µm growth7.2x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 435J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 3.19mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | 3,680W/m174x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,260–1,336°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 101°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 704°Csourceupper use temperature stated by producer |
| 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. | INCONEL alloy 718, standard grade, 1750 °F/1 hr anneal + 1325 °F/8 hr F.C. to 1150 °F aged; Special Metals bulletin SMC-045 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.
Plastic ABS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic ABS stronger than Nickel Inconel 718?
Nickel Inconel 718 is stronger: its yield strength is 1,207 MPa against 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (31.7x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or Nickel Inconel 718?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 8,221 kg/m³ for Nickel Inconel 718.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS or Nickel Inconel 718?
Nickel Inconel 718 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 1.96 GPa for Plastic ABS, so the same part in Nickel Inconel 718 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or Nickel Inconel 718?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; Nickel Inconel 718 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | Nickel Inconel 718 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 13.6x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 35% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.6x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 4.24x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 34% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 33% 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 Nickel Inconel 718?
Nickel Inconel 718 conducts heat better: 11.4 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Nickel Inconel 718 expands less: 13.2 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.