Materials / Compare
Brick vs. FDM HIPS
Compare Brick vs. FDM HIPS 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 | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 18.4MPasourcetypical |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 31.8MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 1.4%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 1.59GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 1,023kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 18kN·m/kg7.34x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 1.55MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 1,246m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 80µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth11.1x less | 400µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 99°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 86°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa |
| Values for | 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 | BASF Forward AM (BASF 3D Printing Solutions) Ultrafuse HiPS, TDS v2.2 (13.11.2019), printed specimens, XY 'Flat'. Specimen print settings are not stated; recommended processing on the sheet: nozzle 240-260 °C, bed 100-120 °C, 40-80 mm/s. Product is discontinued (Forward AM product page) but the TDS is still served by Forward AM. |
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 HIPS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Brick stronger than FDM HIPS?
FDM HIPS is stronger: its tensile strength is 18.4 MPa against 5.1 MPa for Brick (3.61x).
Which is lighter, Brick or FDM HIPS?
FDM HIPS is lighter: 1,023 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or FDM HIPS?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM HIPS is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | FDM HIPS |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 7.34x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 4.79x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 3.87x 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, Brick or FDM HIPS?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM HIPS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 80 µm/m·K for FDM HIPS.