Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare Plastic PLA vs. Steel AISI 1018 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 | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg | 47.3kN·m/kg12% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg9.7x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 75.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,619m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 60µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s | 13.6mm²/s155x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/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. | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
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 Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 52.5 MPa for Plastic PLA (7.09x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or Steel AISI 1018?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PLA or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 3.25 GPa for Plastic PLA, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 9.7x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 24% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.61x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 12% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.72x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.38x 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 Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 conducts heat better: 51.9 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.