Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Stainless 303
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Stainless 303 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 | 275MPasourceOutokumpu typical (product P = hot rolled plate, transverse) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 585MPasourceOutokumpu typical |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 35%sourceOutokumpu typical, A5 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourceat RT (Table 12) |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 7,900kg/m³sourceat RT |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg29% higher | 34.8kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 25.3MN·m/kg12.6x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | 76.9GPa88.7x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 5,032m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 15W/m·Ksourceat RT |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 16µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 80µm growth4.06x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 500J/kg·Ksourceat RT |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 3.8mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | 902W/m21.2x more resistant |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 871°Csourcecontinuous, scaling limit |
| 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. | 1.4305 / UNS S30300, Outokumpu typical values (hot rolled, solution annealed) from 'Steel Grades, Properties and Global Standards'; max service from Carpenter CarTech 303 datasheet |
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 Stainless 303?
Stainless 303 is stronger: its yield strength is 275 MPa against 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (5.16x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Stainless 303?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for Stainless 303.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Stainless 303?
Stainless 303 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Stainless 303 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Stainless 303?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Stainless 303 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Stainless 303 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.6x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 38% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.52x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 29% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.22x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.92x 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 Stainless 303?
Stainless 303 conducts heat better: 15 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Stainless 303 expands less: 16 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.