Materials / Compare
Plastic PMMA vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic PMMA 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 | 80MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Compressive strength | 110MPasourcecompressive yield stress, typical | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | 115MPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 5.5%sourcetypical | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.3GPasourcetypical, short-term | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 1,190kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 67.2kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg2.97x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.77MN·m/kg | 25.8MN·m/kg9.32x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.37sourcetypical | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 1.2GPa | 42.7GPa35.4x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 4.23GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,665m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.19W/m·Ksourcetypical | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 70µm/m·Ksource0-50 °C | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 350µm growth | 45µm growth7.78x less |
| Specific heat | 1,470J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.109mm²/s | 2.57mm²/s23.6x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 41.5W/m | 3,730W/m90x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 80°Csourcemax. permanent service temperature | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| Values for | Röhm PLEXIGLAS GS 0F00 cast acrylic sheet, typical values at 23 °C / 50 % RH (Röhm Technical Information Ref. No. 211-1) | 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 PMMA stronger than Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against tensile strength 80 MPa for Plastic PMMA (11.1x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PMMA or Titanium?
Plastic PMMA is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PMMA or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 3.3 GPa for Plastic PMMA, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PMMA or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PMMA is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Plastic PMMA | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 9.32x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.58x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 14% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.97x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 33% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 12% 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 Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.19 W/m·K for Plastic PMMA.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 70 µm/m·K for Plastic PMMA.