Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Steel AISI 1018 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 | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg | 47.3kN·m/kg6% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg12.6x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | 75.7GPa87.3x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 60µm growth5.42x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 13.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | 5,473W/m129x more resistant |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| 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. | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
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 Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (6.98x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Steel AISI 1018?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.6x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 38% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.51x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 6% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.81x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.5x 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 Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 conducts heat better: 51.9 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.