Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare Plastic PLA vs. Plastic PTFE 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 | 52.5MPasourcetypical | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg10.2x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,619m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s6% faster | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | 152°Csourcetypical | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Glass transition | 59.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | Ultimaker PLA, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat) orientation; 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 dated April 20, 2022. | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) |
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.
Plastic PLA is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic PLA stronger than Plastic PTFE?
Plastic PLA is stronger: its yield strength is 52.5 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (5.83x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 10.2x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 5.64x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 4.21x 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, Plastic PLA or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic PTFE conducts heat better: 0.25 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.