Materials / Compare
FDM ASA vs. Brick
Compare FDM ASA vs. Brick 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 | not given (tensile used) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 37MPasourcetypical | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) |
| Compressive strength | not sourced | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.45GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 1,050kg/m³sourcetypical | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) |
| Strength to weight | 35.2kN·m/kg14.4x higher | 2.45kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.33MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,528m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, typical | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, range | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 36µm growth13.2x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.585mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 92°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | not sourced |
| Values for | Bambu Lab ASA, TDS V3.0, printed specimens X-Y; nozzle 260 °C, bed 80 °C, 200 mm/s, 100% infill; annealed and dried 80 °C for 12 h before testing. | Solid extruded clay/shale brick units (BIA 1993 manufacturer survey, TN 3A 2024); face brick of 130 lb/ft3 for thermal properties (BIA TN 4, from ASHRAE 2013); CTE is the TMS Code value for clay/shale masonry |
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 ASA is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM ASA stronger than Brick?
FDM ASA is stronger: its tensile strength is 37 MPa against 5.1 MPa for Brick (7.25x).
Which is lighter, FDM ASA or Brick?
FDM ASA is lighter: 1,050 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM ASA or Brick?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM ASA is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM ASA | Brick |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 14.4x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 7.43x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 5.34x 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, FDM ASA or Brick?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM ASA.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for FDM ASA.