Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. Stainless 316
Compare Plastic ABS vs. Stainless 316 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 | 265MPasourcetypical (representative), annealed 1.0 mm sheet |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 583MPasourcetypical (representative), annealed 1.0 mm sheet |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | 61%sourcetypical (representative), annealed, in 2 in. (51 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical7.3x lighter | 8,027kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg5% higher | 33kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg | 24.9MN·m/kg14x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | 0.706GPa | 76.9GPa109x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 2.97GPa | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,336m/s | 4,992m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | 14.6W/m·Ksource20–100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | 16.5µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 82.5µm growth5.76x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 450J/kg·Ksourceat 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.04mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | 821W/m38.7x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,390–1,440°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 101°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 871–899°Csourceoxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| 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. | ATI 316 (UNS S31600), annealed 1.0 mm sheet, ATI technical data sheet (2012); 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.
Plastic ABS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic ABS stronger than Stainless 316?
Stainless 316 is stronger: its yield strength is 265 MPa against 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (6.96x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or Stainless 316?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 8,027 kg/m³ for Stainless 316.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS or Stainless 316?
Stainless 316 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 1.96 GPa for Plastic ABS, so the same part in Stainless 316 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or Stainless 316?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Stainless 316 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | Stainless 316 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 14x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 38% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.56x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 5% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.77x 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 Stainless 316?
Stainless 316 conducts heat better: 14.6 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Stainless 316 expands less: 16.5 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.