Materials / Compare
Nickel Inconel 718 vs. Plastic TPU
Compare Nickel Inconel 718 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 | 1,207MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. hot-rolled bar, 0.2% offset | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 1,389MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 20%sourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 200GPasourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 8,221kg/m³sourcenominal, annealed and aged | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 147kN·m/kg7.56x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 24.3MN·m/kg443x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.294sourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 77.3GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 162GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 4,932m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 11.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged (calculated from resistivity per footnote a) | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 13.2µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 21-93 °C, annealed + aged | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 66µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 435J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 3.19mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,680W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 1,260–1,336°Csourcemelting range | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 704°Csourceupper use temperature stated by producer | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | INCONEL alloy 718, standard grade, 1750 °F/1 hr anneal + 1325 °F/8 hr F.C. to 1150 °F aged; Special Metals bulletin SMC-045 typical 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 Nickel Inconel 718 stronger than Plastic TPU?
Nickel Inconel 718 is stronger: its yield strength is 1,207 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (50.9x).
Which is lighter, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic TPU?
Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 8,221 kg/m³ for Nickel Inconel 718.
Which is stiffer, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic TPU?
Nickel Inconel 718 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Nickel Inconel 718 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: Nickel Inconel 718 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 | Nickel Inconel 718 | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 443x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 8.11x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.14x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 7.56x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.04x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 6% 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).