Materials / Compare
Glass vs. Plastic ABS
Compare Glass vs. Plastic ABS 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) | 38.1MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) | 61.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 4.6%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 72GPasourcetypical36.7x stiffer | 1.96GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical2.27x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 16.4kN·m/kg | 34.6kN·m/kg2.11x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 28.8MN·m/kg16.1x higher | 1.78MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.22sourcetypical | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 29.5GPa41.8x stiffer in shear | 0.706GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 42.9GPa | 2.97GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,367m/s | 1,336m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical |
| Thermal expansion | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 41.5µm growth11.4x less | 475µm growth |
| Specific heat | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.426mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 50.1W/m2.37x more resistant | 21.2W/m |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 101°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit | 86.6°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) | Ultimaker ABS, 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 v5.00, April 20, 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.
Plastic ABS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Glass stronger than Plastic ABS?
Glass is stronger: its tensile strength is 41 MPa against yield strength 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (8%).
Which is lighter, Glass or Plastic ABS?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 2,500 kg/m³ for Glass.
Which is stiffer, Glass or Plastic ABS?
Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 1.96 GPa for Plastic ABS, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Glass or Plastic ABS?
For the same stiffness or strength: Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; Plastic ABS is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Glass | Plastic ABS |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 16.1x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 2.67x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 46% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.11x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.16x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.19x 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, Glass or Plastic ABS?
Glass conducts heat better: 0.937 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Glass expands less: 8.3 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.