Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Compare Plastic PLA vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel 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 | 861MPasourcemean, as built, horizontal (N=72) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 886MPasourcemean, as built, horizontal (N=72) |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 19.9%sourcemean at break, as built, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical | 197GPasourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900 (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,790kg/m³sourcemean part density (ISO 3369) |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg | 110kN·m/kg2.61x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg | 25.3MN·m/kg9.65x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.272sourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, all conditions (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 77.4GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 144GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,619m/s | 5,029m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 17.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900, at 149 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 10.4µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228, AFTER atmospheric heat treatment (as-built value not published) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 52µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 460J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition A, 0-100 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s | 5mm²/s57.2x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,474W/m |
| Melting point | 152°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 59.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| 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. | EOS StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine (powder 9011-0041), EOS M 290, 40 µm, default job 17-4PH_040_StainlessM291_100, as built, horizontal; ISO 6892 & ASTM E8M |
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 and DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic PLA stronger than DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 861 MPa against 52.5 MPa for Plastic PLA (16.4x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 7,790 kg/m³ for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PLA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 197 GPa against 3.25 GPa for Plastic PLA, so the same part in DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 9.65x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 24% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.6x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.61x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.55x 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 DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 17.9 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.
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