Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Titanium Ti-6Al-4V
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Titanium Ti-6Al-4V 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 | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg4.46x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg12.8x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | 42.7GPa49.2x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 45µm growth7.22x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 2.57mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | 3,730W/m87.8x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| 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. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 53.3 MPa for FDM Polycarbonate (16.6x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium Ti-6Al-4V.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Titanium Ti-6Al-4V deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Titanium Ti-6Al-4V |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.8x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.86x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 4.46x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1.75x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 9% heavier | lighter |
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 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
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