Materials / Compare
Plastic Polycarbonate vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare Plastic Polycarbonate vs. Plastic PTFE 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 | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 65MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Flexural strength | 97MPasourcetypical, flexural strength | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 125%sourcetypical, strain at break | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.4GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 1,200kg/m³sourcetypical | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 54.2kN·m/kg13x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 2MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcetypical, polycarbonate family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | 0.87GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,414m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcetypical, through-plane, 23 C | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 23-55 C, parallel and normal | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth1.54x less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,172J/kg·Ksourcetypical (guide value), Bayer ASTM datasheet for Makrolon 2405, ASTM D 2766 | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.142mm²/s1.72x faster | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 51.7W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Glass transition | 144°Csourcetypical, DSC 10 C/min | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 125°CsourceUL 746B RTI, tensile strength, 1.5 mm | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | Covestro Makrolon 2405 general-purpose PC (MVR 19), Covestro technical datasheet version 2026-09-28, typical values | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) |
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 PTFE?
Plastic Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 65 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (7.22x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Polycarbonate or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,200 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Polycarbonate or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic Polycarbonate | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 13x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 6.73x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 4.84x 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 PTFE?
Plastic PTFE conducts heat better: 0.25 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 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.