Materials / Compare
Iron vs. Plastic ABS
Compare Iron vs. Plastic ABS 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 | 38.1MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 38.1MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 61.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 4.6%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 1.96GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,100kg/m³sourcetypical7.15x lighter |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 34.6kN·m/kg46% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg14.8x higher | 1.78MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | 0.39sourcebase material: ABS family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa114x stiffer in shear | 0.706GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | 2.97GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 1,336m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | 0.17W/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, typical |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | 80–110µm/m·Ksourcebase material: INEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 injection-molding ABS, range |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth6.93x less | 475µm growth |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m163x more resistant | 21.2W/m |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 101°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 86.6°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 ABS, 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 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.
Plastic ABS is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Iron stronger than Plastic ABS?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against 38.1 MPa for Plastic ABS (4.88x).
Which is lighter, Iron or Plastic ABS?
Plastic ABS is lighter: 1,100 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or Plastic ABS?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 1.96 GPa for Plastic ABS, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or Plastic ABS?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); Plastic ABS is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | Plastic ABS |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 14.8x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 44% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 1.51x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.48x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 3.23x 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 Plastic ABS?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS.
Which expands less with temperature?
Iron expands less: 13.7 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS.