Materials / Compare
DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum vs. Plastic PLA
Compare DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum vs. Plastic PLA 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 | 270MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 52.5MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 450MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 96.8MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 10.2%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal | 7.8%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 72GPasourcesame material and process, different machine maker: Renishaw RenAM 500, 30 µm, as built, horizontal (XY) | 3.25GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,670kg/m³sourcetypical part density (ISO 3369), EOS M 290, AlSi10Mg_030_FlexM291 (30 µm) | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 101kN·m/kg2.39x higher | 42.3kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 27MN·m/kg10.3x higher | 2.62MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.33sourcebase material: cast Al-Si-Mg alloy 359.0 (Al-9Si-0.6Mg, closest MIL-HDBK-5J alloy to AlSi10Mg / EN AC-43000) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 27.1GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 70.6GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,193m/s | 1,619m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 110W/m·Ksourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal (ISO 22007-2) | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 20µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 100µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 963J/kg·Ksourcebase material: cast Al-Si-Mg alloy 359.0 (MIL-HDBK-5J), at 100 °C | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 42.8mm²/s490x faster | 0.0874mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 13,819W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 152°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 59.1°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg (powder 9011-0024), EOS M 290 | 30 µm process (AlSi10Mg_FlexM291 2.01), as manufactured, horizontal; machined (turned) specimens, ISO 6892-1 B10 | Ultimaker PLA, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat) orientation; 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 dated April 20, 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.
DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum and Plastic PLA are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum stronger than Plastic PLA?
DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum is stronger: its yield strength is 270 MPa against 52.5 MPa for Plastic PLA (5.14x).
Which is lighter, DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum or Plastic PLA?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 2,670 kg/m³ for DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum.
Which is stiffer, DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum or Plastic PLA?
DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 3.25 GPa for Plastic PLA, so the same part in DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum or Plastic PLA?
For the same stiffness or strength: DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum 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 | DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum | Plastic PLA |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 10.3x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 2.19x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 30% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 2.39x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 38% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 5% 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, DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum or Plastic PLA?
DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum conducts heat better: 110 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.