300°Csourceproducer's maximum application temperature (optical components)
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.
Synthetic single-crystal silicon (cubic, diamond structure), Korth Kristalle (crystal grower) material data; Korth usually supplies Floating Zone (FZ) material, Czochralski (Cz) also offered. Silicon is elastically anisotropic; the producer quotes one modulus and the solver is isotropic.
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 Silicon?
Silicon is stronger: its tensile strength is 130 MPa against 37 MPa for FDM ASA (3.51x).
Which is lighter, FDM ASA or Silicon?
FDM ASA is lighter: 1,050 kg/m³ against 2,329 kg/m³ for Silicon.
Which is stiffer, FDM ASA or Silicon?
Silicon is stiffer: Young's modulus 131 GPa against 2.45 GPa for FDM ASA, so the same part in Silicon deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM ASA or Silicon?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM ASA is lighter for a strong panel or plate; Silicon is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam.
Part that must be
FDM ASA
Silicon
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
24.1x heavier
lighter
Stiff beam (bending)
3.3x heavier
lighter
Stiff panel or plate
1.7x heavier
lighter
Strong rod or tie
1.58x heavier
lighter
Strong beam
4% heavier
lighter
Strong panel or plate
lighter
18% 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 Silicon?
Silicon conducts heat better: 163 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM ASA.
Which expands less with temperature?
Silicon expands less: 2.62 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for FDM ASA.