Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic PTFE 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 | 53.3MPasourcetypical | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg10.7x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth1.54x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | 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. | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) |
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 FDM Polycarbonate stronger than Plastic PTFE?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (5.92x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic PTFE?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 10.7x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 5.94x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 4.42x heavier |
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, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic PTFE conducts heat better: 0.25 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
FDM Polycarbonate expands less: 65 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.