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Plastic Polypropylene vs. Wood Compare Plastic Polypropylene vs. Wood strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
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Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall Plastic Polypropylene Bulk polymer (molded or machined) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall Wood Natural 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 33 MPa source typical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527 not given (tensile used) Ultimate tensile strength not sourced 99 MPa source modulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) Compressive strength not sourced 46.6 MPa source compression parallel to grain (maximum crushing strength), 12% MC Flexural strength not sourced 99 MPa source modulus of rupture (static bending), 12% MC Elongation at break not sourced not sourced Young's modulus (stiffness) 1.45 GPa source typical, tensile modulus ISO 527 12.5 GPa source bending MOE, parallel to grain Density 900 kg/m³ source typical, 23 °C ISO 1183-1 not sourced Strength to weight 36.7 kN·m/kg not sourced Stiffness to weight 1.61 MN·m/kg not sourced Poisson's ratio 0.42 source base material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) 0.35 source mu_LR (red oak group, ~12% MC) Shear modulus 0.511 GPa 4.63 GPa 9.07x stiffer in shear Bulk modulus 3.02 GPa 13.9 GPa Speed of sound 1,269 m/s not sourced Thermal Thermal conductivity 0.17–0.22 W/m·K source base material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) 0.18 W/m·K source across grain, 12% MC (Table 4-7, approximate) Thermal expansion 80–100 µm/m·K source base material: polypropylene homopolymer family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of Polypropylene) 3.1–4.5 µm/m·K source parallel to grain, ovendry wood, range across species 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing 450 µm growth 19 µm growth 23.7x less Specific heat not sourced 1,700 J/kg·K source solid wood (all species), 12% MC, 27 C Heats up and cools (diffusivity) not sourced not sourced Thermal shock resistance 28.6 W/m 244 W/m 8.53x more resistant Max service temperature 90 °C source HDT 0.45 MPa (ISO 75B), unannealed not sourced Values for LyondellBasell Moplen HP501H polypropylene homopolymer (general purpose), typical ISO values Northern red oak (Quercus rubra), clear straight-grained specimens at 12% MC, parallel to grain unless stated; USDA FPL Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021) Ch. 4 and Ch. 5
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 Wood? Wood is stronger: its tensile strength is 99 MPa against yield strength 33 MPa for Plastic Polypropylene (3x).
Which is stiffer, Plastic Polypropylene or Wood? Wood is stiffer: Young's modulus 12.5 GPa against 1.45 GPa for Plastic Polypropylene, so the same part in Wood deflects less under the same load.
Which conducts heat better, Plastic Polypropylene or Wood? Plastic Polypropylene conducts heat better: 0.195 W/m·K against 0.18 W/m·K for Wood.
Which expands less with temperature? Wood expands less: 3.8 µm/m·K against 90 µm/m·K for Plastic Polypropylene.
Among 59 materials 1k 10k 0.1 1 10 100 Density (kg/m³) Young's modulus (GPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Glass Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Plastic Polypropylene Stiffness against density 1k 10k 10 100 1k Density (kg/m³) Yield strength (MPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Rubber Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Glass Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Brick Plastic Polypropylene Strength against density