Materials / Compare
Plastic UHMWPE vs. Titanium Ti-6Al-4V
Compare Plastic UHMWPE vs. Titanium Ti-6Al-4V 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 Ti-6Al-4V?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 20 MPa for Plastic UHMWPE (44.3x).
Which is lighter, Plastic UHMWPE or Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium Ti-6Al-4V.
Which is stiffer, Plastic UHMWPE or Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 0.66 GPa for Plastic UHMWPE, so the same part in Titanium Ti-6Al-4V deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic UHMWPE or Titanium Ti-6Al-4V?
For the same stiffness or strength: Titanium Ti-6Al-4V 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 Ti-6Al-4V |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ti-6Al-4V?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium Ti-6Al-4V expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.