Materials / Compare
Plastic PMMA vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Compare Plastic PMMA vs. DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel 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) | 861MPasourcemean, as built, horizontal (N=72) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 80MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | 886MPasourcemean, as built, horizontal (N=72) |
| Compressive strength | 110MPasourcecompressive yield stress, typical | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | 115MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 5.5%sourcetypical | 19.9%sourcemean at break, as built, horizontal |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.3GPasourcetypical, short-term | 197GPasourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900 (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Density | 1,190kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,790kg/m³sourcemean part density (ISO 3369) |
| Strength to weight | 67.2kN·m/kg | 110kN·m/kg1.64x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.77MN·m/kg | 25.3MN·m/kg9.12x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.37sourcetypical | 0.272sourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, all conditions (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Shear modulus | 1.2GPa | 77.4GPa64.3x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 4.23GPa | 144GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,665m/s | 5,029m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.19W/m·Ksourcetypical | 17.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition H 900, at 149 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Thermal expansion | 70µm/m·Ksource0-50 °C | 10.4µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228, AFTER atmospheric heat treatment (as-built value not published) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 350µm growth | 52µm growth6.73x less |
| Specific heat | 1,470J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 460J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 17-4 PH, Condition A, 0-100 °C (Cleveland-Cliffs) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.109mm²/s | 5mm²/s46x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 41.5W/m | 5,474W/m132x more resistant |
| Max service temperature | 80°Csourcemax. permanent service temperature | not sourced |
| Values for | Röhm PLEXIGLAS GS 0F00 cast acrylic sheet, typical values at 23 °C / 50 % RH (Röhm Technical Information Ref. No. 211-1) | EOS StainlessSteel 17-4PH IndustryLine (powder 9011-0041), EOS M 290, 40 µm, default job 17-4PH_040_StainlessM291_100, as built, horizontal; ISO 6892 & ASTM E8M |
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.
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic PMMA stronger than DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 861 MPa against tensile strength 80 MPa for Plastic PMMA (10.8x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PMMA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
Plastic PMMA is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 7,790 kg/m³ for DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PMMA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 197 GPa against 3.3 GPa for Plastic PMMA, so the same part in DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PMMA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PMMA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong beam, strong panel or plate; DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie.
| Part that must be | Plastic PMMA | DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 9.12x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 18% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.67x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.64x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | lighter | 34% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2x 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).
Which conducts heat better, Plastic PMMA or DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 17.9 W/m·K against 0.19 W/m·K for Plastic PMMA.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel expands less: 10.4 µm/m·K against 70 µm/m·K for Plastic PMMA.
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