Materials / Compare
Plastic ABS vs. Plastic TPU
Compare Plastic ABS vs. Plastic TPU 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 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | 61.1MPasourcetypical14.9x stronger in bending | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 4.6%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.96GPasourcetypical29.3x stiffer | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 34.6kN·m/kg1.78x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.78MN·m/kg32.5x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| 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 | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 21.2W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | 101°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens)1.72x hotter | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| 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. | Ultimaker TPU 95A, 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 (file v5.00), April 29, 2022. |
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 and Plastic TPU are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic ABS stronger than Plastic TPU?
Plastic ABS is stronger: its yield strength is 38.1 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (1.61x).
Which is lighter, Plastic ABS or Plastic TPU?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.
Which is stiffer, Plastic ABS or Plastic TPU?
Plastic ABS is stiffer: Young's modulus 1.96 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Plastic ABS deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic ABS or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic ABS is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic ABS | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 32.5x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 6x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3.42x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.78x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.52x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 41% 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 handles higher temperatures, Plastic ABS or Plastic TPU?
Plastic ABS does: 86.6 °C against 50.3 °C for Plastic TPU, both HDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens).