Materials / Compare
Plastic PTFE vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare Plastic PTFE vs. Steel AISI 1018 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 | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Elongation at break | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 4.17kN·m/kg | 47.3kN·m/kg11.4x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 25.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 75.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 500µm growth | 60µm growth8.33x less |
| Specific heat | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0827mm²/s | 13.6mm²/s164x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/m |
| Melting point | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) | not sourced |
| Values for | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
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 PTFE stronger than Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (41.3x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PTFE or Steel AISI 1018?
Plastic PTFE is lighter: 2,160 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PTFE or Steel AISI 1018?
For the same stiffness or strength: Steel AISI 1018 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PTFE | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 11.4x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.28x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.77x 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 PTFE or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 conducts heat better: 51.9 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.