Materials / Compare
Plastic PPS GF40 vs. Stainless Steel 304
Compare Plastic PPS GF40 vs. Stainless Steel 304 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) | 241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 195MPasourcetensile strength, 5 mm/min | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Flexural strength | 285MPasourceflexural strength at break | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 1.9%sourcestrain at break, 5 mm/min | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 14.7GPasourcetypical, 1 mm/min | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 1,650kg/m³sourcetypical4.87x lighter | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 118kN·m/kg3.94x higher | 30kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 8.91MN·m/kg | 24MN·m/kg2.7x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.35sourceglass-reinforced Fortron PPS (class value, not grade-specific) | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | 5.44GPa | 74.2GPa13.6x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 16.3GPa | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | 2,985m/s | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksource40% glass-reinforced Fortron, 25 °C (not grade-specific) | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 12µm/m·Ksourceparallel (flow), mean -50 to 90 °C | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 60µm growth41% less | 84.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 4.03mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 144W/m | 838W/m5.83x more resistant |
| Melting point | 280°CsourceDSC, 10 °C/min | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Glass transition | 90°CsourceDSC, 10 °C/min | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 270°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| Values for | Celanese Fortron 1140L4 (PPS, 40% glass fibre), injection moulding; FORTRON PPS Short-Term Properties Guide (PPS-012, 2016); thermal conductivity and Poisson for 40% glass-reinforced Fortron from the Fortron PPS Design Manual (PPS-050, 2013). | Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual |
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 PPS GF40 stronger than Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against tensile strength 195 MPa for Plastic PPS GF40 (24%).
Which is lighter, Plastic PPS GF40 or Stainless Steel 304?
Plastic PPS GF40 is lighter: 1,650 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless Steel 304.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PPS GF40 or Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 14.7 GPa for Plastic PPS GF40, so the same part in Stainless Steel 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PPS GF40 or Stainless Steel 304?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PPS GF40 is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Stainless Steel 304 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension).
| Part that must be | Plastic PPS GF40 | Stainless Steel 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 2.7x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 34% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.06x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 3.94x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 4.23x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 4.38x 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 PPS GF40 or Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for Plastic PPS GF40.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic PPS GF40 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 16.9 µm/m·K for Stainless Steel 304.