Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic LCP GF30
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic LCP GF30 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 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 115MPasourcetensile strength (ISO 527) |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | 184MPasourcetypical (ISO 178) |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 1.5%sourcetensile elongation (ISO 527) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 11.5GPasourcetensile modulus (ISO 527) |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 1,610kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg | 71.4kN·m/kg1.59x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 7.14MN·m/kg3.55x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 2,673m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 0.5W/m·Ksourcehot disk (ISO 22007-2), temperature not stated |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 20µm/m·Ksourceflow direction (MD), mean 50-150 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 100µm growth3.25x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 839J/kg·KsourceASTM E1269, temperature not stated |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.37mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 288°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (ISO 75) |
| 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. | Sumitomo Chemical SUMIKASUPER LCP E6006L (30% glass fibre; high strength, low shrinkage); SUMIKASUPER LCP Technical Note, Version 04 / Nov. 2023, typical values. |
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 LCP GF30?
Plastic LCP GF30 is stronger: its tensile strength is 115 MPa against yield strength 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (2.16x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic LCP GF30?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 1,610 kg/m³ for Plastic LCP GF30.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic LCP GF30?
Plastic LCP GF30 is stiffer: Young's modulus 11.5 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Plastic LCP GF30 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic LCP GF30?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic LCP GF30 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Plastic LCP GF30 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 3.55x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.62x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 25% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.59x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 23% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 9% 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 LCP GF30?
Plastic LCP GF30 conducts heat better: 0.5 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic LCP GF30 expands less: 20 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.