Materials / Compare
Iron vs. FDM PAHT-CF
Compare Iron vs. FDM PAHT-CF 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 | 186MPasourcetypical (0.2% YS), hot rolled + SRA/recrystallization anneal | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 92MPasourcetypical |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 125MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 8.4%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 3.86GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,060kg/m³sourcetypical7.42x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 86.8kN·m/kg3.67x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg7.23x higher | 3.64MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 1,908m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | 225°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 70°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 170°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa |
| Values for | Cleveland-Cliffs / AK Steel ARMCO Pure Iron Product Data Bulletin (07/2022): Table 1 typical physical properties, Table 2 typical mechanical properties after SRA/recrystallization anneal. | Bambu Lab PAHT-CF, TDS V3.0, printed specimens X-Y, dry state; nozzle 290 °C, bed 100 °C, 100 mm/s, 100% infill; annealed and dried 80 °C for 12 h before testing. |
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 PAHT-CF is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Iron stronger than FDM PAHT-CF?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against tensile strength 92 MPa for FDM PAHT-CF (2.02x).
Which is lighter, Iron or FDM PAHT-CF?
FDM PAHT-CF is lighter: 1,060 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or FDM PAHT-CF?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 3.86 GPa for FDM PAHT-CF, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or FDM PAHT-CF?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension); FDM PAHT-CF is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | FDM PAHT-CF |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 7.23x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 1.97x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.67x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 4.64x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 5.21x 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).