Materials / Compare
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. Plastic UHMWPE
Compare DMLS 316L Stainless Steel vs. Plastic UHMWPE 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 | 530MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 640MPasourcetypical, as manufactured, horizontal | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Elongation at break | 40%sourcetypical at break, as manufactured, horizontal | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 185GPasourcetypical, as built, horizontal (XY); EOSINT M280-400W / M290-400W, 316L_Surface 1.0, 20 µm (2014 sheet) | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min |
| Density | 7,900kg/m³sourcepart density (ISO 3369, not labelled min or typical), EOS M 290, 40 µm FlexLine | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 67.1kN·m/kg3.12x higher | 21.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 23.4MN·m/kg33x higher | 0.71MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.3sourcebase material: austenitic stainless steels incl. 1.4404 (316L), design value | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 71.2GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 154GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 4,839m/s | 842m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 16.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), at 100 °C | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| Thermal expansion | 15.7µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228 | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 78.6µm growth12.7x less | 1,000µm growth |
| Specific heat | 500J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought 316/316L (Cleveland-Cliffs), 0-100 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 4.1mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 2,067W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating temperature |
| Values for | EOS StainlessSteel 316L (powder 9011-0032), EOS M 290, ParameterSet 316L 20µm Surface M290/400W, as manufactured, horizontal; ISO 6892-1 | Celanese GUR 4120 (avg. molecular weight 4.7x10^6 g/mol), typical values on compression-molded specimens; CTE and thermal conductivity from Celanese's generic UHMWPE guide (grade not named) |
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.
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is DMLS 316L Stainless Steel stronger than Plastic UHMWPE?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stronger: its yield strength is 530 MPa against 20 MPa for Plastic UHMWPE (26.5x).
Which is lighter, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for DMLS 316L Stainless Steel.
Which is stiffer, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic UHMWPE?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is stiffer: Young's modulus 185 GPa against 0.66 GPa for Plastic UHMWPE, so the same part in DMLS 316L Stainless Steel deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic UHMWPE?
For the same stiffness or strength: DMLS 316L Stainless Steel is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), strong rod or tie, strong beam; Plastic UHMWPE is lighter for a stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | DMLS 316L Stainless Steel | Plastic UHMWPE |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 33x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 1.97x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | 30% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 3.12x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 5% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.65x 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, DMLS 316L Stainless Steel or Plastic UHMWPE?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel conducts heat better: 16.2 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.
Which expands less with temperature?
DMLS 316L Stainless Steel expands less: 15.7 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.