Materials / Compare
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium vs. Plastic TPU
Compare DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium 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 | 1,100MPasourcetypical, as built, average of horizontal + vertical (M400) | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 1,270MPasourcetypical, as built, average of horizontal + vertical (M400) | 23.7MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 4.1MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 8.7%sourcetypical at break, as built (M400) | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 110GPasourcesame maker and process, sibling grade: EOS Titanium Ti64 (Grade 5) on EOS M 290, as built, XY and Z, typical | 0.067GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 4,400kg/m³sourcetypical part density (ISO 3369), M400 | 1,220kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 250kN·m/kg12.9x higher | 19.4kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 25MN·m/kg455x higher | 0.0549MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.342sourcewrought TIMETAL 6-4 (TIMET measurement, mean of 10); composition-level, not DMLS-measured | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 41GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 116GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,000m/s | 234m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 6.6W/m·Ksourcebase material: wrought Ti-6Al-4V / 6-4 ELI (TIMET datasheet), 20 °C | not sourced |
| Thermal expansion | 9µm/m·Ksourcemean 25-100 °C, ASTM E228; EOS Ti64 Grade 23 (=ELI) on EOS M 290 40 µm; condition not stated (sheet's mechanical data are heat treated) | not sourced |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 45µm growth | not sourced |
| Specific heat | 580J/kg·Ksourcebase material: wrought Ti-6Al-4V / 6-4 ELI (TIMET datasheet), 20 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 2.59mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 4,825W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range, wrought TIMETAL 6-4 (composition-level) | 217°Csourcetypical |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 50.3°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) |
| Values for | EOS Titanium Ti64ELI (powder 9011-0040; ASTM F136/F3001, i.e. Grade 23) on EOS M400 SF, parameter set Ti64ELI_030_FlexM400_100, 30 µm, as built; ISO 6892-1 A14 | 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.
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium and Plastic TPU are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium stronger than Plastic TPU?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 1,100 MPa against tensile strength 23.7 MPa for Plastic TPU (46.4x).
Which is lighter, DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium or Plastic TPU?
Plastic TPU is lighter: 1,220 kg/m³ against 4,400 kg/m³ for DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium.
Which is stiffer, DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium or Plastic TPU?
DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 110 GPa against 0.067 GPa for Plastic TPU, so the same part in DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium or Plastic TPU?
For the same stiffness or strength: DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium | Plastic TPU |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 455x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 11.2x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 3.27x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 12.9x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 3.58x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.89x heavier |
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).