Materials / Compare
Plastic PLA vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic PLA vs. Titanium 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 | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 52.5MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 96.8MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 7.8%sourcetypical | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.25GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,240kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 42.3kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg4.72x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.62MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg9.86x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 42.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,619m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.13W/m·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 45µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,200J/kg·Ksourcebase material: NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, amorphous sheet, 25 °C | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0874mm²/s | 2.57mm²/s29.4x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 3,730W/m |
| Melting point | 152°Csourcetypical | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 59.1°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 58.8°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| 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. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 52.5 MPa for Plastic PLA (16.9x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PLA or Titanium?
Plastic PLA is lighter: 1,240 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PLA or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 3.25 GPa for Plastic PLA, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PLA or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PLA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PLA | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 9.86x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.66x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 9% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 4.72x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1.84x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 15% heavier | lighter |
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 Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.13 W/m·K for Plastic PLA.