Materials / Compare
Titanium vs. Plastic UHMWPE
Compare Titanium 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 | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Elongation at break | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min |
| Density | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 200kN·m/kg9.29x higher | 21.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 25.8MN·m/kg36.4x higher | 0.71MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 42.7GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 121GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,084m/s | 842m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| Thermal expansion | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 45µm growth22.2x less | 1,000µm growth |
| Specific heat | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 2.57mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,730W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min |
| Max service temperature | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating temperature |
| Values for | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties | 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.
Questions
Is Titanium stronger than Plastic UHMWPE?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 20 MPa for Plastic UHMWPE (44.3x).
Which is lighter, Titanium or Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Titanium or Plastic UHMWPE?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 0.66 GPa for Plastic UHMWPE, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Titanium or Plastic UHMWPE?
For the same stiffness or strength: 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 | Titanium | Plastic UHMWPE |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 36.4x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 2.77x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 17% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 9.29x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.63x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 40% 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).
Which conducts heat better, Titanium or Plastic UHMWPE?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.