Materials / Compare
Plastic PMMA vs. Plastic TPU
Compare Plastic PMMA vs. Plastic TPU 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) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 80MPasourcetypical, 23 °C | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Compressive strength | 110MPasourcecompressive yield stress, typical | not sourced |
| Flexural strength | 115MPasourcetypical28x stronger in bending | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 5.5%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 3.3GPasourcetypical, short-term | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 1,190kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 67.2kN·m/kg3.46x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.77MN·m/kg50.5x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.37sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 1.2GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 4.23GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,665m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.19W/m·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 70µm/m·Ksource0-50 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 350µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 1,470J/kg·Ksourcetypical | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.109mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 41.5W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 80°Csourcemax. permanent service temperature | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | Röhm PLEXIGLAS GS 0F00 cast acrylic sheet, typical values at 23 °C / 50 % RH (Röhm Technical Information Ref. No. 211-1) | 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. |
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 PMMA stronger than Plastic TPU?
Plastic PMMA is stronger: its tensile strength is 80 MPa against 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (3.38x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PMMA or Plastic TPU?
Plastic PMMA is lighter: 1,190 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.
Which is stiffer, Plastic PMMA or Plastic TPU?
Plastic PMMA is stiffer: Young's modulus 3.3 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Plastic PMMA deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PMMA or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic PMMA 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 PMMA | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 50.5x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 7.2x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3.76x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 3.46x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.31x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.88x 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).