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.
Celanese Fortron 1140L4 (PPS, 40% glass fibre), injection moulding; FORTRON PPS Short-Term Properties Guide (PPS-012, 2016); thermal conductivity and Poisson for 40% glass-reinforced Fortron from the Fortron PPS Design Manual (PPS-050, 2013).
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.
Questions
Is Iron stronger than Plastic PPS GF40?
Plastic PPS GF40 is stronger: its tensile strength is 195 MPa against yield strength 186 MPa for Iron (5%).
Which is lighter, Iron or Plastic PPS GF40?
Plastic PPS GF40 is lighter: 1,650 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or Plastic PPS GF40?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 14.7 GPa for Plastic PPS GF40, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or Plastic PPS GF40?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension); Plastic PPS GF40 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
Plastic PPS GF40
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
lighter
2.96x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)
27% heavier
lighter
Stiff panel or plate
1.97x heavier
lighter
Strong rod or tie
4.99x heavier
lighter
Strong beam
4.92x heavier
lighter
Strong panel or plate
4.88x 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 PPS GF40?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for Plastic PPS GF40.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic PPS GF40 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 13.7 µm/m·K for Iron.