Materials / Compare
Plastic TPU vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic TPU vs. Titanium 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) | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 4.1MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.067GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 19.4kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg10.3x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.0549MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg471x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 42.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 234m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | not sourced | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | not sourced | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | not sourced | 45µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 2.57mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 3,730W/m |
| Melting point | 217°Csourcetypical | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| 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. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (37.3x).
Which is lighter, Plastic TPU or Titanium?
Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic TPU or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic TPU or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic TPU | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 471x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 11.4x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 3.29x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 10.3x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.08x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.68x 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).