Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic ABS vs. Titanium 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 | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg5.77x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg14.5x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 0.706GPa | 42.7GPa60.4x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 2.97GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,336m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 45µm growth10.6x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 2.57mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | 3,730W/m176x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 101°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| 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. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (23.2x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or Titanium?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 1.96 GPa for Plastic ABS, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 14.5x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.9x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 4% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 5.77x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.02x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 20% heavier | lighter |
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 Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.