Materials / Compare
Plastic TPU vs. Steel AISI 1045
Compare Plastic TPU vs. Steel AISI 1045 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) | 531MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 627MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Flexural strength | 4.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 12%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.067GPasourcetypical | 210GPasourcetypical3,134x stiffer |
| Density | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical6.39x lighter | 7,800kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 19.4kN·m/kg | 68.1kN·m/kg3.5x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.0549MN·m/kg | 26.9MN·m/kg490x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 80.8GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 175GPa |
| Speed of sound | 234m/s | 5,189m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 40–45W/m·Ksourcetypical range, ambient |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 12µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 60µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 460–480J/kg·Ksourcetypical range, 50/100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 11.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 6,269W/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 1045 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle) for mechanical; Ovako C45 (lists 'SAE 1045' as a similar designation) for physical constants |
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 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stronger: its yield strength is 531 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (22.4x).
Which is lighter, Plastic TPU or Steel AISI 1045?
Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 7,800 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1045.
Which is stiffer, Plastic TPU or Steel AISI 1045?
Steel AISI 1045 is stiffer: Young's modulus 210 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Steel AISI 1045 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic TPU or Steel AISI 1045?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic TPU is lighter for a strong panel or plate; Steel AISI 1045 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Plastic TPU | Steel AISI 1045 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 490x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 8.76x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 2.29x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 3.5x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 24% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 35% 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).