Materials / Compare
Plastic PTFE vs. Silicon Compare Plastic PTFE vs. Silicon strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
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Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Magnesium AZ91D Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall PCB Laminate FR-4 Silicon Ceramic Alumina 96% Ceramic Aluminum Nitride Solder SAC305 Plastic PTFE Bulk polymer (molded or machined) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Magnesium AZ91D Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall PCB Laminate FR-4 Silicon Ceramic Alumina 96% Ceramic Aluminum Nitride Solder SAC305 Silicon Grown single crystal Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser Open in LessCAD Open in LessCAD Mechanical Yield strength 9 MPa source typical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) not given (tensile used) Ultimate tensile strength 39.3 MPa source typical, skived tape 0.13 mm 130 MPa source modulus of rupture (bending fracture stress); brittle, no yield point Flexural strength not sourced 130 MPa source modulus of rupture Elongation at break 350 % source typical, skived tape 0.13 mm not sourced Young's modulus (stiffness) not sourced 131 GPa source typical (single quoted value of an anisotropic crystal) Density 2,160 kg/m³ source typical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) 2,329 kg/m³ source typical Strength to weight 4.17 kN·m/kg 55.8 kN·m/kg 13.4x higher Stiffness to weight not sourced 56.2 MN·m/kg Poisson's ratio 0.46 source typical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) 0.221 source typical Shear modulus not sourced 53.6 GPa Bulk modulus not sourced 78.3 GPa Speed of sound not sourced 7,500 m/s Thermal Thermal conductivity 0.25 W/m·K source typical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen 163 W/m·K source typical at 313 K (40 °C) Thermal expansion 100 µm/m·K source typical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) 2.62 µm/m·K source typical at 300 K 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing 500 µm growth 13.1 µm growth 38.2x less Specific heat 1,400 J/kg·K source typical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) 732 J/kg·K source typical Heats up and cools (diffusivity) 0.0827 mm²/s 95.6 mm²/s 1,157x faster Thermal shock resistance not sourced 48,095 W/m Melting point 327 °C source second melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 1,412 °C source typical Max service temperature 260 °C source service temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) 300 °C source producer's maximum application temperature (optical components) Values for Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) Synthetic single-crystal silicon (cubic, diamond structure), Korth Kristalle (crystal grower) material data; Korth usually supplies Floating Zone (FZ) material, Czochralski (Cz) also offered. Silicon is elastically anisotropic; the producer quotes one modulus and the solver is isotropic.
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 PTFE stronger than Silicon? Silicon is stronger: its tensile strength is 130 MPa against yield strength 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (14.4x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PTFE or Silicon? Plastic PTFE is lighter: 2,160 kg/m³ against 2,329 kg/m³ for Silicon.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PTFE or Silicon? For the same stiffness or strength: Silicon is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
Part that must be Plastic PTFE Silicon Strong rod or tie 13.4x heavier lighter Strong beam 5.5x heavier lighter Strong panel or plate 3.52x 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 PTFE or Silicon? Silicon conducts heat better: 163 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature? Silicon expands less: 2.62 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Among 72 materials 1k 10k 0.1 1 10 100 Density (kg/m³) Young's modulus (GPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Glass Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel PCB Laminate FR-4 Ceramic Alumina 96% Ceramic Aluminum Nitride Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Magnesium AZ91D Solder SAC305 Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Silicon Stiffness against density 1k 10k 10 100 1k Density (kg/m³) Yield strength (MPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Rubber Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Glass Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless Steel 303 Stainless Steel 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Brick PCB Laminate FR-4 Ceramic Alumina 96% Aluminum A380 Aluminum 6063-T6 Aluminum 1100-O Aluminum ADC12 Magnesium AZ91D Solder SAC305 Plastic PBT GF30 Plastic PPS GF40 Plastic LCP GF30 Plastic PTFE Silicon Strength against density