Materials / Compare
Stainless 303 vs. Plastic TPU
Compare Stainless 303 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 | 275MPasourceOutokumpu typical (product P = hot rolled plate, transverse) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 585MPasourceOutokumpu typical | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 35%sourceOutokumpu typical, A5 | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 200GPasourceat RT (Table 12) | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 7,900kg/m³sourceat RT | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 34.8kN·m/kg1.79x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 25.3MN·m/kg461x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 76.9GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 167GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,032m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 15W/m·Ksourceat RT | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 16µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20–100 °C | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 80µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 500J/kg·Ksourceat RT | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 3.8mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 902W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | 871°Csourcecontinuous, scaling limit | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | 1.4305 / UNS S30300, Outokumpu typical values (hot rolled, solution annealed) from 'Steel Grades, Properties and Global Standards'; max service from Carpenter CarTech 303 datasheet | 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 Stainless 303 stronger than Plastic TPU?
Stainless 303 is stronger: its yield strength is 275 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (11.6x).
Which is lighter, Stainless 303 or Plastic TPU?
Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for Stainless 303.
Which is stiffer, Stainless 303 or Plastic TPU?
Stainless 303 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in Stainless 303 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Stainless 303 or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: Stainless 303 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie; Plastic TPU is lighter for a strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Stainless 303 | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 461x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 8.44x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.22x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.79x heavier |
| Strong beam | 26% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.9x 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).