Materials / Compare
FDM ASA vs. Glass
Compare FDM ASA vs. Glass 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 | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability |
| Flexural strength | 65MPasourcetypical | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.45GPasourcetypical | 72GPasourcetypical29.4x stiffer |
| Density | 1,050kg/m³sourcetypical2.38x lighter | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 35.2kN·m/kg2.15x higher | 16.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.33MN·m/kg | 28.8MN·m/kg12.3x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.22sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 29.5GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 42.9GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,528m/s | 5,367m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, typical | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F |
| Thermal expansion | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Luran S 777K injection-molding ASA, range | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 475µm growth | 41.5µm growth11.4x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical at 75 F |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.426mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 50.1W/m |
| Max service temperature | 92°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit |
| 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. | Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) |
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 Glass?
Glass is stronger: its tensile strength is 41 MPa against 37 MPa for FDM ASA (11%).
Which is lighter, FDM ASA or Glass?
FDM ASA is lighter: 1,050 kg/m³ against 2,500 kg/m³ for Glass.
Which is stiffer, FDM ASA or Glass?
Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 2.45 GPa for FDM ASA, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM ASA or Glass?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM ASA is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM ASA | Glass |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.3x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 2.28x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 30% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 2.15x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.22x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.26x 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 Glass?
Glass conducts heat better: 0.937 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM ASA.
Which expands less with temperature?
Glass expands less: 8.3 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for FDM ASA.