Materials / Compare
Plastic Polycarbonate vs. Plastic POM/Acetal
Compare Plastic Polycarbonate vs. Plastic POM/Acetal 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 | 65MPasourcetypical, tensile yield | 69MPasourcetypical (single ASTM D638 tensile strength) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 65MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 69MPasourcetypical |
| Compressive strength | not sourced | 124MPasourcecompressive stress at 10% deformation |
| Flexural strength | 97MPasourcetypical, flexural strength | 99MPasourceflexural yield strength, typical |
| Elongation at break | 125%sourcetypical, strain at break | 75%sourcetypical |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.4GPasourcetypical | 2.8GPasourcetypical17% stiffer |
| Density | 1,200kg/m³sourcetypical | 1,420kg/m³sourcetypical (DuPont product information for Delrin 100 NC010; 'The data listed here fall within the normal range of product properties') |
| Strength to weight | 54.2kN·m/kg11% higher | 48.6kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2MN·m/kg1% higher | 1.97MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcetypical, polycarbonate family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.35sourcetypical |
| Shear modulus | 0.87GPa | 1.04GPa19% stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 3.11GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,414m/s | 1,404m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcetypical, through-plane, 23 C | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 23-55 C, parallel and normal | 122µm/m·Ksourcemean, 29 to 60 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth1.88x less | 610µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,172J/kg·Ksourcetypical (guide value), Bayer ASTM datasheet for Makrolon 2405, ASTM D 2766 | 1,465J/kg·Ksourceaverage -18 to 100 °C, Delrin acetal resins (not grade-specific) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.142mm²/s | 0.192mm²/s35% faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 51.7W/m | 52.5W/m2% more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 175°Csourcecrystalline melting point |
| Glass transition | 144°Csourcetypical, DSC 10 C/min | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 125°CsourceUL 746B RTI, tensile strength, 1.5 mm | 125°CsourceHDT 1.8 MPa (annealed) |
| Values for | Covestro Makrolon 2405 general-purpose PC (MVR 19), Covestro technical datasheet version 2026-09-28, typical values | DuPont Delrin 100 acetal homopolymer, Table 2 'Typical Properties of Delrin Acetal Resins' (ASTM methods), Delrin Design Guide Module III hosted on delrin.com |
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 Polycarbonate stronger than Plastic POM/Acetal?
Plastic POM/Acetal is stronger: its yield strength is 69 MPa against 65 MPa for Plastic Polycarbonate (6%).
Which is lighter, Plastic Polycarbonate or Plastic POM/Acetal?
Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,200 kg/m³ against 1,420 kg/m³ for Plastic POM/Acetal.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Polycarbonate or Plastic POM/Acetal?
Plastic POM/Acetal is stiffer: Young's modulus 2.8 GPa against 2.4 GPa for Plastic Polycarbonate, so the same part in Plastic POM/Acetal deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Polycarbonate or Plastic POM/Acetal?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Polycarbonate 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 Polycarbonate | Plastic POM/Acetal |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 1% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 10% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 12% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 11% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 14% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 15% 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 Polycarbonate or Plastic POM/Acetal?
Plastic POM/Acetal conducts heat better: 0.4 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for Plastic Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic Polycarbonate expands less: 65 µm/m·K against 122 µm/m·K for Plastic POM/Acetal.
Among 59 materials
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