Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) 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 | 53.3MPasourcetypical | 45MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield 23 °C |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | 65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 2.3GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 1,040kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg4% higher | 43.3kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 2.21MN·m/kg10% higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa5% stiffer in shear | 0.827GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 3.48GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 1,487m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth46% less | 475µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m1.99x more resistant | 21.4W/m |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 94°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (annealed 4 h/80 °C) |
| Values for | Ultimaker PC, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); 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 (file v5.00), April 20, 2022. | INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 general-purpose injection-molding ABS, ISO typical values (TDS revision 08/01/2022) |
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.
FDM Polycarbonate is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM Polycarbonate stronger than Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (18%).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 1,190 kg/m³ for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?
FDM Polycarbonate is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.39 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in FDM Polycarbonate deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a strong rod or tie; Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 10% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 12% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 13% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 4% heavier |
| Strong beam | 2% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 5% 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, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?
FDM Polycarbonate conducts heat better: 0.2 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Which expands less with temperature?
FDM Polycarbonate expands less: 65 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).
Among 59 materials
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