Materials / Compare
Plastic Polypropylene vs. Plastic PTFE
Compare Plastic Polypropylene 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 | 33MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527 | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.45GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527 | not sourced |
| Density | 900kg/m³sourcetypical, 23 °C ISO 1183-1 | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) |
| Strength to weight | 36.7kN·m/kg8.8x higher | 4.17kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.61MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.42sourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) |
| Shear modulus | 0.511GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.02GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,269m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17–0.22W/m·Ksourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen |
| Thermal expansion | 80–100µm/m·Ksourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 450µm growth11% less | 500µm growth |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | 0.0827mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 28.6W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 |
| Max service temperature | 90°CsourceHDT 0.45 MPa (ISO 75B), unannealed | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) |
| Values for | LyondellBasell Moplen HP501H polypropylene homopolymer (general purpose), typical ISO 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 Polypropylene stronger than Plastic PTFE?
Plastic Polypropylene is stronger: its yield strength is 33 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (3.67x).
Which is lighter, Plastic Polypropylene or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic Polypropylene is lighter: 900 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Polypropylene or Plastic PTFE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Polypropylene is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic Polypropylene | Plastic PTFE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 8.8x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 5.71x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 4.6x 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 Polypropylene or Plastic PTFE?
Plastic PTFE conducts heat better: 0.25 W/m·K against 0.195 W/m·K for Plastic Polypropylene.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic Polypropylene expands less: 90 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.