Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Stainless 304
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Stainless 304 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 | 241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg49% higher | 30kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 24MN·m/kg11.9x 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 | 74.2GPa85.6x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 84.5µm growth3.85x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.03mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | 838W/m19.7x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| 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. | Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual |
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 304?
Stainless 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (4.52x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Stainless 304?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless 304.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Stainless 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Stainless 304?
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 304 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending).
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Stainless 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 11.9x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 33% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.56x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 49% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.47x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 3.17x 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 304?
Stainless 304 conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Stainless 304 expands less: 16.9 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.