Materials / Compare
Plastic HDPE vs. FDM Polycarbonate
Compare Plastic HDPE vs. FDM Polycarbonate 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 | 24MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield 23 °C, 50 mm/min ISO 527 | 53.3MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 89.4MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 9.2%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.9GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus 23 °C ISO 527 | 2.39GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 950kg/m³sourcetypical, ISO 1183 | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange |
| Strength to weight | 25.3kN·m/kg | 44.8kN·m/kg1.77x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.947MN·m/kg | 2.01MN·m/kg2.12x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4–0.45sourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 0.316GPa | 0.867GPa2.75x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 2GPa | 3.33GPa |
| Speed of sound | 973m/s | 1,418m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.4–0.49W/m·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 120µm/m·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 600µm growth | 325µm growth1.85x less |
| Specific heat | 2,250J/kg·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.208mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 56.9W/m34% more resistant | 42.5W/m |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 108°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | LyondellBasell Hostalen 23050 B high density polyethylene, typical ISO values | 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. |
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 Plastic HDPE stronger than FDM Polycarbonate?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against 24 MPa for Plastic HDPE (2.22x).
Which is lighter, Plastic HDPE or FDM Polycarbonate?
Plastic HDPE is lighter: 950 kg/m³ against 1,190 kg/m³ for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which is stiffer, Plastic HDPE or FDM Polycarbonate?
FDM Polycarbonate is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.39 GPa against 0.9 GPa for Plastic HDPE, so the same part in FDM Polycarbonate deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic HDPE or FDM Polycarbonate?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate 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 | Plastic HDPE | FDM Polycarbonate |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 2.12x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 30% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 11% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.77x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 36% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 19% 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, Plastic HDPE or FDM Polycarbonate?
Plastic HDPE conducts heat better: 0.445 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
FDM Polycarbonate expands less: 65 µm/m·K against 120 µm/m·K for Plastic HDPE.