Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Plastic PLA
Compare Brick vs. Plastic PLA 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) | 52.5MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 96.8MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 7.8%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 3.25GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 42.3kN·m/kg17.3x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 2.62MN·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 | 1,619m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s6.7x faster | 0.0874mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 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 | 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 | 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.
Plastic PLA is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Brick stronger than Plastic PLA?
Plastic PLA is stronger: its yield strength is 52.5 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (10.3x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Plastic PLA?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Plastic PLA?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Plastic PLA |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 17.3x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 7.95x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 5.39x 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 Plastic PLA?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.