Materials / Compare
Plastic PTFE vs. Titanium
Compare Plastic PTFE vs. 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 | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Elongation at break | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 4.17kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg47.9x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 25.8MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 42.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 500µm growth | 45µm growth11.1x less |
| Specific heat | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0827mm²/s | 2.57mm²/s31.1x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 3,730W/m |
| Melting point | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| Values for | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (98.3x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PTFE or Titanium?
Plastic PTFE is lighter: 2,160 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PTFE or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Titanium is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PTFE | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 47.9x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 10.4x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 4.84x 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 Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 100 µm/m·K for Plastic PTFE.