Materials / Compare
FDM HIPS vs. Glass
Compare FDM HIPS 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 | 18.4MPasourcetypical | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability |
| Flexural strength | 31.8MPasourcetypical | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) |
| Elongation at break | 1.4%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.59GPasourcetypical | 72GPasourcetypical45.3x stiffer |
| Density | 1,023kg/m³sourcetypical2.44x lighter | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 18kN·m/kg10% higher | 16.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.55MN·m/kg | 28.8MN·m/kg18.6x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.22sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 29.5GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 42.9GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,246m/s | 5,367m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F |
| Thermal expansion | 80µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution PS 486N injection-molding HIPS, typical | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 400µm growth | 41.5µm growth9.64x 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 |
| Glass transition | 99°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 86°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit |
| Values for | 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. | 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 HIPS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM HIPS stronger than Glass?
Glass is stronger: its tensile strength is 41 MPa against 18.4 MPa for FDM HIPS (2.23x).
Which is lighter, FDM HIPS or Glass?
FDM HIPS is lighter: 1,023 kg/m³ against 2,500 kg/m³ for Glass.
Which is stiffer, FDM HIPS or Glass?
Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 1.59 GPa for FDM HIPS, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM HIPS or Glass?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM HIPS 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 HIPS | Glass |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 18.6x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 2.76x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 10% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 43% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.64x 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 HIPS or Glass?
Glass conducts heat better: 0.937 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for FDM HIPS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Glass expands less: 8.3 µm/m·K against 80 µm/m·K for FDM HIPS.