Materials / Compare
Iron vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel
Compare Iron vs. DMLS 316L Stainless Steel 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 | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 67.1kN·m/kg2.84x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg12% higher | 23.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | 0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa13% stiffer in shear | 71.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | 154GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 4,839m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth15% less | 78.6µm growth |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s5.05x faster | 4.1mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m1.67x more resistant | 2,067W/m |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| 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. | EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1 |
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.
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Iron stronger than DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 186 MPa for Iron (2.85x).
Which is lighter, Iron or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Iron is lighter: 7,860 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, Iron or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 185 GPa for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 12% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 6% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 4% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.84x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.68x 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 DMLS 316L Stainless Steel?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 16.2 W/m·K for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which expands less with temperature?
Iron expands less: 13.7 µm/m·K against 15.7 µm/m·K for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.