Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic TPU
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic TPU 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 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical21.8x stronger in bending | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical35.7x stiffer | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg2.31x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg36.6x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens)2.08x hotter | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| 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. | Ultimaker TPU 95A, 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 29, 2022. |
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 and Plastic TPU are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM Polycarbonate stronger than Plastic TPU?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (2.25x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic TPU?
FDM Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic TPU?
FDM Polycarbonate is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.39 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in FDM Polycarbonate deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: FDM Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | FDM Polycarbonate | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 36.6x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 6.13x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3.38x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 2.31x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.76x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.54x 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 handles higher temperatures, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic TPU?
FDM Polycarbonate does: 105 °C against 50.3 °C for Plastic TPU, both HDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens).