Materials / Compare

Nickel Inconel 718 vs. Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)

Compare Nickel Inconel 718 vs. Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Change either side
Nickel Inconel 718Wrought
Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)Bulk polymer (molded or machined)
Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browserOpen in LessCADOpen in LessCAD
Mechanical
Yield strength1,207MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. hot-rolled bar, 0.2% offset45MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield 23 °C
Ultimate tensile strength1,389MPasourcetypical, 1.0 in. barnot sourced
Flexural strengthnot sourced65MPasourcetypical, 23 °C
Elongation at break20%sourcetypical, 1.0 in. bar10%sourcenominal strain at break, 23 °C
Young's modulus (stiffness)200GPasourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged2.3GPasourcetypical
Density8,221kg/m³sourcenominal, annealed and aged1,040kg/m³sourcetypical
Strength to weight147kN·m/kg3.39x higher43.3kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight24.3MN·m/kg11x higher2.21MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio0.294sourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged0.39sourcetypical, ABS family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1)
Shear modulus77.3GPa93.4x stiffer in shear0.827GPa
Bulk modulus162GPa3.48GPa
Speed of sound4,932m/s1,487m/s
Thermal
Thermal conductivity11.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, 21 °C, annealed + aged (calculated from resistivity per footnote a)0.17W/m·Ksourcetypical
Thermal expansion13.2µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 21-93 °C, annealed + aged80–110µm/m·Ksourcerange
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing66µm growth7.2x less475µm growth
Specific heat435J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 21 °Cnot sourced
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)3.19mm²/snot sourced
Thermal shock resistance3,680W/m172x more resistant21.4W/m
Melting point1,260–1,336°Csourcemelting rangenot sourced
Max service temperature704°Csourceupper use temperature stated by producer94°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (annealed 4 h/80 °C)
Values forINCONEL alloy 718, standard grade, 1750 °F/1 hr anneal + 1325 °F/8 hr F.C. to 1150 °F aged; Special Metals bulletin SMC-045 typical valuesINEOS Styrolution Terluran GP-22 general-purpose injection-molding ABS, ISO typical values (TDS revision 08/01/2022)

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.

Questions

Is Nickel Inconel 718 stronger than Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

Nickel Inconel 718 is stronger: its yield strength is 1,207 MPa against 45 MPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) (26.8x).

Which is lighter, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter: 1,040 kg/m³ against 8,221 kg/m³ for Nickel Inconel 718.

Which is stiffer, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

Nickel Inconel 718 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 2.3 GPa for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection), so the same part in Nickel Inconel 718 deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

For the same stiffness or strength: Nickel Inconel 718 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam; Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate.

Part that must beNickel Inconel 718Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)
Stiff rod or tie (tension)lighter11x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)lighter18% heavier
Stiff panel or plate1.78x heavierlighter
Strong rod or tielighter3.39x heavier
Strong beamlighter13% heavier
Strong panel or plate1.53x heavierlighter

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, Nickel Inconel 718 or Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)?

Nickel Inconel 718 conducts heat better: 11.4 W/m·K against 0.17 W/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).

Which expands less with temperature?

Nickel Inconel 718 expands less: 13.2 µm/m·K against 95 µm/m·K for Plastic ABS (bulk/injection).

Among 59 materials

1k10k0.1110100Density (kg/m³)Young's modulus (GPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless Steel 304Stainless Steel 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless Steel 303Stainless Steel 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelDMLS 17-4PH Stainless SteelNickel Inconel 718Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)
Stiffness against density
1k10k101001kDensity (kg/m³)Yield strength (MPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonRubberAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless Steel 304Stainless Steel 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless Steel 303Stainless Steel 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic PTFEPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLA Resin Elastic 50ASLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelDMLS 17-4PH Stainless SteelBrickNickel Inconel 718Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)
Strength against density

Related comparisons