Materials / Compare
Aluminum 1100-O vs. FDM Polycarbonate
Compare Aluminum 1100-O vs. FDM Polycarbonate strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 35MPasourcetypical, O, 0.0625 in specimen | 53.3MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 90MPasourcetypical, O | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 89.4MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 35%sourcetypical, O, in 4D | 9.2%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 69GPasourcetypical28.8x stiffer | 2.39GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,710kg/m³sourcenominal, 20 °C | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange |
| Strength to weight | 12.9kN·m/kg | 44.8kN·m/kg3.47x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 25.5MN·m/kg12.7x higher | 2.01MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 0.867GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 3.33GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,046m/s | 1,418m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 222W/m·Ksourcetypical, O, 20 °C | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 23.6µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-100 °C | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 118µm growth2.75x less | 325µm growth |
| Specific heat | 901J/kg·Ksourcebase material: commercially pure aluminium EN AW-1050A (Hydro), 20 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 90.9mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 42.5W/m |
| Melting point | 640–655°Csourcemelting range | not sourced |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 108°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | 1100-O (annealed) commercially pure aluminium, Kaiser Aluminum Tube & Pipe Alloy 1100 Technical Data (Rev. 05/06), typical properties; specific heat from Hydro EN AW-1050A (99.5% Al) extruded-products datasheet (10/2018). | Ultimaker PC, 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 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.
FDM Polycarbonate is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Aluminum 1100-O stronger than FDM Polycarbonate?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against 35 MPa for Aluminum 1100-O (1.52x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum 1100-O or FDM Polycarbonate?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 2,710 kg/m³ for Aluminum 1100-O.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum 1100-O or FDM Polycarbonate?
Aluminum 1100-O is stiffer: Young's modulus 69 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Aluminum 1100-O deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum 1100-O or FDM Polycarbonate?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum 1100-O is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Aluminum 1100-O | FDM Polycarbonate |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 12.7x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 2.36x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 35% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.47x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.01x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.81x 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, Aluminum 1100-O or FDM Polycarbonate?
Aluminum 1100-O conducts heat better: 222 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Aluminum 1100-O expands less: 23.6 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.