Materials / Compare
Plastic HDPE vs. Plastic TPU
Compare Plastic HDPE vs. Plastic TPU 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 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.9GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus 23 °C ISO 527 | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 950kg/m³sourcetypical, ISO 1183 | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 25.3kN·m/kg30% higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.947MN·m/kg17.3x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.4–0.45sourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.316GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 2GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 973m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.4–0.49W/m·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 120µm/m·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 600µm growth | not sourced |
| 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/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | LyondellBasell Hostalen 23050 B high density polyethylene, typical ISO values | Ultimaker TPU 95A, 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 29, 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 TPU is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic HDPE stronger than Plastic TPU?
Plastic HDPE is stronger: its yield strength is 24 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (1%).
Which is lighter, Plastic HDPE or Plastic TPU?
Plastic HDPE is lighter: 950 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.
Which is stiffer, Plastic HDPE or Plastic TPU?
Plastic HDPE is stiffer: Young's modulus 0.9 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Plastic HDPE deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic HDPE or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic HDPE 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 | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 17.3x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 4.71x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3.05x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 30% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 30% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 29% 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).