Materials / Compare
Plastic TPU vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare Plastic TPU 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 | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 4.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.067GPasourcetypical | 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 | 1,220kg/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 | 19.4kN·m/kg | 47.3kN·m/kg2.44x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.0549MN·m/kg | 25.4MN·m/kg463x 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 | 234m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 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 | not sourced | 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) | not sourced | 13.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/m |
| Melting point | 217°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| Values for | Ultimaker TPU 95A, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); 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 (file v5.00), April 29, 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 TPU is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic TPU stronger than Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (15.7x).
Which is lighter, Plastic TPU or Steel AISI 1018?
Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, Plastic TPU or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic TPU or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic TPU is lighter for a strong beam, strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic TPU | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 463x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 8.48x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 2.23x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.44x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 3% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.63x 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).