Materials / Compare
Iron vs. FDM Polycarbonate
Compare Iron 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 | 186MPasourcetypical (0.2% YS), hot rolled + SRA/recrystallization anneal | 53.3MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 89.4MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 9.2%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 2.39GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 44.8kN·m/kg1.89x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg13.1x higher | 2.01MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa93.1x stiffer in shear | 0.867GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | 3.33GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 1,418m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth4.74x less | 325µm growth |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m81.2x more resistant | 42.5W/m |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 108°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| 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. | 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 Iron stronger than FDM Polycarbonate?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (3.49x).
Which is lighter, Iron or FDM Polycarbonate?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or FDM Polycarbonate?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or FDM Polycarbonate?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | FDM Polycarbonate |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 13.1x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 41% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 49% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.89x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.87x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 3.54x 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, Iron or FDM Polycarbonate?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Iron expands less: 13.7 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.