Materials / Compare
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. Plastic PTFE strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Elongation at break | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) | not sourced |
| Density | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 67.1kN·m/kg16.1x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 23.4MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | 71.2GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 154GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 4,839m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 78.6µm growth6.36x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 4.1mm²/s49.6x faster | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 2,067W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1 | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) |
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.
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is DMLS 316L Stainless Steel stronger than Plastic PTFE?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (58.9x).
Which is lighter, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic PTFE is lighter: 2,160 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is lighter for the same job, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 16.1x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 4.14x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.1x 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, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic PTFE?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel expands less: 15.7 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.