Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic UHMWPE
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plastic UHMWPE 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 | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg2.08x higher | 21.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg2.83x higher | 0.71MN·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 | 842m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth3.08x less | 1,000µm growth |
| 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 | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating 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. | Celanese GUR 4120 (avg. molecular weight 4.7x10^6 g/mol), typical values on compression-molded specimens; CTE and thermal conductivity from Celanese's generic UHMWPE guide (grade not named) |
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 Plastic UHMWPE?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against 20 MPa for Plastic UHMWPE (2.67x).
Which is lighter, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 1,190 kg/m³ for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic UHMWPE?
FDM Polycarbonate is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.39 GPa against 0.66 GPa for Plastic UHMWPE, so the same part in FDM Polycarbonate deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, FDM Polycarbonate or Plastic UHMWPE?
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 UHMWPE |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 2.83x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 49% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 20% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 2.08x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.5x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 28% 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 Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE conducts heat better: 0.4 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
FDM Polycarbonate expands less: 65 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.