Materials / Compare
Plastic Polypropylene vs. Plastic TPU
Compare Plastic Polypropylene 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 | 33MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527 | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | not sourced | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 1.45GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527 | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 900kg/m³sourcetypical, 23 °C ISO 1183-1 | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 36.7kN·m/kg1.89x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 1.61MN·m/kg29.3x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.42sourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.511GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.02GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,269m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.17–0.22W/m·Ksourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 80–100µm/m·Ksourcebase material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 450µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | not sourced | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 28.6W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 90°CsourceHDT 0.45 MPa (ISO 75B), unannealed | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | LyondellBasell Moplen HP501H polypropylene homopolymer (general purpose), typical ISO values | 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 Polypropylene stronger than Plastic TPU?
Plastic Polypropylene is stronger: its yield strength is 33 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (39%).
Which is lighter, Plastic Polypropylene or Plastic TPU?
Plastic Polypropylene is lighter: 900 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Polypropylene or Plastic TPU?
Plastic Polypropylene is stiffer: Young's modulus 1.45 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Plastic Polypropylene deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Polypropylene or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic Polypropylene 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 Polypropylene | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 29.3x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 6.31x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3.78x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.89x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.69x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.6x 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).