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Plastic Polycarbonate vs. DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium
Compare Plastic Polycarbonate vs. DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI 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 | 65MPasourcetypical, tensile yield | 1,100MPasourcetypical, as built, average of horizontal + vertical (M400) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 65MPasourcetypical, stress at break | 1,270MPasourcetypical, as built, average of horizontal + vertical (M400) |
| Flexural strength | 97MPasourcetypical, flexural strength | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | 125%sourcetypical, strain at break | 8.7%sourcetypical at break, as built (M400) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.4GPasourcetypical | 110GPasourcesame maker and process, sibling grade: EOS Titanium Ti64 (Grade 5) on EOS M 290, as built, XY and Z, typical |
| Density | 1,200kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,400kg/m³sourcetypical part density (ISO 3369), M400 |
| Strength to weight | 54.2kN·m/kg | 250kN·m/kg4.62x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 2MN·m/kg | 25MN·m/kg12.5x higher |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcetypical, polycarbonate family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | 0.342sourcewrought TIMETAL 6-4 (TIMET measurement, mean of 10); composition-level, not DMLS-measured |
| Shear modulus | 0.87GPa | 41GPa47.1x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | 116GPa |
| Speed of sound | 1,414m/s | 5,000m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcetypical, through-plane, 23 C | 6.6W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought Ti-6Al-4V / 6-4 ELI (TIMET datasheet), 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 23-55 C, parallel and normal | 9µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228; EOS Ti64 Grade 23 (=ELI) on EOS M 290 40 µm; condition not stated (sheet's mechanical data are heat treated) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 45µm growth7.22x less |
| Specific heat | 1,172J/kg·Ksourcetypical (guide value), Bayer ASTM datasheet for Makrolon 2405, ASTM D 2766 | 580J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought Ti-6Al-4V / 6-4 ELI (TIMET datasheet), 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.142mm²/s | 2.59mm²/s18.2x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 51.7W/m | 4,825W/m93.4x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range, wrought TIMETAL 6-4 (composition-level) |
| Glass transition | 144°Csourcetypical, DSC 10 C/min | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 125°CsourceUL 746B RTI, tensile strength, 1.5 mm | not sourced |
| Values for | Covestro Makrolon 2405 general-purpose PC (MVR 19), Covestro technical datasheet version 2026-09-28, typical values | EOS Titanium Ti64ELI (powder 9011-0040; ASTM F136/F3001, i.e. Grade 23) on EOS M400 SF, parameter set Ti64ELI_030_FlexM400_100, 30 µm, as built; ISO 6892-1 A14 |
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 Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is Plastic Polycarbonate stronger than DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 1,100 MPa against 65 MPa for Plastic Polycarbonate (16.9x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Polycarbonate or DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,200 kg/m³ against 4,400 kg/m³ for DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Polycarbonate or DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 110 GPa against 2.4 GPa for Plastic Polycarbonate, so the same part in DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Polycarbonate or DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff panel or plate; DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic Polycarbonate | DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | 12.5x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 1.85x heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 4.62x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1.8x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 12% heavier | lighter |
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 DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for Plastic Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for Plastic Polycarbonate.
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