Materials / Compare
Plastic UHMWPE vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic UHMWPE 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 | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Elongation at break | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 930kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 21.5kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg9.29x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 0.71MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg36.4x 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 | 842m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 1,000µm growth | 45µm growth22.2x less |
| 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 | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating temperature | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| Values for | Celanese GUR 4120 (avg. molecular weight 4.7x10^6 g/mol), typical values on compression-molded specimens; CTE and thermal conductivity from Celanese's generic UHMWPE guide (grade not named) | 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.
Questions
Is Plastic UHMWPE stronger than Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 20 MPa for Plastic UHMWPE (44.3x).
Which is lighter, Plastic UHMWPE or Titanium?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic UHMWPE or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 0.66 GPa for Plastic UHMWPE, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic UHMWPE 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 UHMWPE | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 36.4x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 2.77x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 17% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 9.29x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.63x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 40% 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 UHMWPE or Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.