Materials / Compare
Plastic LCP GF30 vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare Plastic LCP GF30 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 | not given (tensile used) | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 115MPasourcetensile strength (ISO 527) | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 184MPasourcetypical (ISO 178) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 1.5%sourcetensile elongation (ISO 527) | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 11.5GPasourcetensile modulus (ISO 527) | 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 | 1,610kg/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 | 71.4kN·m/kg1.51x higher | 47.3kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 7.14MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg3.56x 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 | 2,673m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.5W/m·Ksourcehot disk (ISO 22007-2), temperature not stated | 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 | 20µm/m·Ksourceflow direction (MD), mean 50-150 °C | 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 | 100µm growth | 60µm growth1.67x less |
| Specific heat | 839J/kg·KsourceASTM E1269, temperature not stated | 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) | 0.37mm²/s | 13.6mm²/s36.7x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/m |
| Max service temperature | 288°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (ISO 75) | not sourced |
| Values for | Sumitomo Chemical SUMIKASUPER LCP E6006L (30% glass fibre; high strength, low shrinkage); SUMIKASUPER LCP Technical Note, Version 04 / Nov. 2023, typical values. | 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.
Questions
Is Plastic LCP GF30 stronger than Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against tensile strength 115 MPa for Plastic LCP GF30 (3.23x).
Which is lighter, Plastic LCP GF30 or Steel AISI 1018?
Plastic LCP GF30 is lighter: 1,610 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, Plastic LCP GF30 or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 11.5 GPa for Plastic LCP GF30, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic LCP GF30 or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic LCP GF30 is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension).
| Part that must be | Plastic LCP GF30 | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 3.56x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 17% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.88x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.51x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.23x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.71x 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 LCP GF30 or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 conducts heat better: 51.9 W/m·K against 0.5 W/m·K for Plastic LCP GF30.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 20 µm/m·K for Plastic LCP GF30.