Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. Steel AISI 1045
Compare Plastic ABS vs. Steel AISI 1045 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 | 531MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 627MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | 12%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical | 210GPasourcetypical107x stiffer |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical7.09x lighter | 7,800kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg | 68.1kN·m/kg1.97x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg | 26.9MN·m/kg15.1x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | 0.706GPa | 80.8GPa114x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 2.97GPa | 175GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,336m/s | 5,189m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | 40–45W/m·Ksourcetypical range, ambient |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | 12µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 60µm growth7.92x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 460–480J/kg·Ksourcetypical range, 50/100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 11.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | 6,269W/m296x more resistant |
| 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. | AISI 1045 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle) for mechanical; Ovako C45 (lists 'SAE 1045' as a similar designation) for physical constants |
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 Steel AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stronger: its yield strength is 531 MPa against 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (13.9x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or Steel AISI 1045?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 7,800 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1045.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS or Steel AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stiffer: Young's modulus 210 GPa against 1.96 GPa for Plastic ABS, so the same part in Steel AISI 1045 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or Steel AISI 1045?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1045 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | Steel AISI 1045 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 15.1x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 49% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.97x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 22% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.9x 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 Steel AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 conducts heat better: 42.5 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1045 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.