Concrete vs. Plastic LCP GF30

Compare Concrete vs. Plastic LCP GF30 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Plastic LCP GF30Bulk polymer (molded or machined)

Mechanical	Concrete	Plastic LCP GF30
Yield strength	none (brittle)	not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength	not sourced	tensile strength115MPa1
Compressive strength	27.6MPa2	not sourced
Flexural strength	not sourced	184MPa1
Elongation at break	none (brittle)	tensile elongation1.5%1
Young's modulus (stiffness)	design value25.1GPa3	tensile modulus11.5GPa1
Density	2,240–2,400kg/m³4	1,610kg/m³1
Strength to weight	not sourced	71.4kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	10.8MN·m/kg1.51x higher	7.14MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	0.15–0.25	not sourced
Shear modulus	10.7GPa	not sourced
Bulk modulus	12.9GPa	not sourced
Speed of sound	3,289m/s23% faster	2,673m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Concrete	Plastic LCP GF30
Thermal conductivity	0.9W/m·K61.8x more heat through a fin	hot disk0.5W/m·K1
Thermal expansion	8–12µm/m·K7	flow direction20µm/m·K1
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	50µm growth2x less	100µm growth
Specific heat	900J/kg·K8	ASTM E1269839J/kg·K1
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	0.431mm²/s16% faster	0.37mm²/s
Thermal shock resistance	not sourced	not sourced
Max service temperature	65°C5	HDT 1.8 MPa288°C1

Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weight

Thermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated

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Sources8 documents: Sumitomo Chemical, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Federal Highway Administration, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USDA Forest Products Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Concrete: Normal-weight portland cement concrete, strength class f'c = 4000 psi (28 MPa) per NRMCA CIP 35; density NRMCA CIP 36; thermal conductivity USDA FPL Wood Handbook; service temperature ORNL/NRC review
Plastic LCP GF30: Sumitomo Chemical SUMIKASUPER LCP E6006L (30% glass fibre; high strength, low shrinkage); SUMIKASUPER LCP Technical Note, Version 04 / Nov. 2023, typical values.

1
SUMIKASUPER LCP Technical Note, Version 04 (2023)Sumitomo Chemicalarchived copyPlastic LCP GF30 · Ultimate tensile strength: tensile strength (ISO 527)Plastic LCP GF30 · Flexural strength: typical (ISO 178)Plastic LCP GF30 · Elongation at break: tensile elongation (ISO 527)Plastic LCP GF30 · Young's modulus (stiffness): tensile modulus (ISO 527)Plastic LCP GF30 · Density: typicalPlastic LCP GF30 · Thermal conductivity: hot disk (ISO 22007-2), temperature not statedPlastic LCP GF30 · Thermal expansion: flow direction (MD), mean 50-150 °CPlastic LCP GF30 · Specific heat: ASTM E1269, temperature not statedPlastic LCP GF30 · Max service temperature: HDT 1.8 MPa (ISO 75)
2
CIP 35: Testing Compressive Strength of ConcreteNational Ready Mixed Concrete Associationarchived copyConcrete · Compressive strength: specified compressive strength class (f'c), not a measured typical
3
LRFD Steel Girder Superstructure Bridge Design Example, Design Step 2: Concrete Deck DesignFederal Highway AdministrationConcrete · Young's modulus (stiffness): design value: AASHTO LRFD 5.4.2.4 applied by FHWA to f'c = 4.0 ksi normal-weight concrete
4
CIP 36: Structural Lightweight ConcreteNational Ready Mixed Concrete Associationarchived copyConcrete · Density: range for normalweight concrete
5
The Effect of Elevated Temperature on Concrete Materials and Structures: A Literature Review (ORNL/TM-2005/553)Oak Ridge National Laboratoryarchived copyConcrete · Poisson's ratio: general range at normal ambient conditions (overall 0.11-0.32)Concrete · Max service temperature: code long-term temperature limit (ASME Code, concrete containments)
6
Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282), Chapter 4: Moisture Relations and Physical Properties of WoodUSDA Forest Products LaboratoryConcrete · Thermal conductivity: typical (comparative value)
7
Thermal Coefficient of Portland Cement ConcreteFederal Highway AdministrationConcrete · Thermal expansion: typical range for portland cement concrete (aggregate dependent)
8
Best Practice Guidelines for Structural Fire Resistance Design of Concrete and Steel Buildings (TN 1681)National Institute of Standards and Technologyarchived copyConcrete · Specific heat: typical (NIST guidance for thermal analysis)

Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.

Questions

Mechanical

Which is lighter, Concrete or Plastic LCP GF30?

Plastic LCP GF30 is lighter: 1,610 kg/m³ against 2,320 kg/m³ for Concrete.

Which is stiffer, Concrete or Plastic LCP GF30?

Concrete is stiffer: Young's modulus 25.1 GPa against 11.5 GPa for Plastic LCP GF30, so the same part in Concrete deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Concrete or Plastic LCP GF30?

For the same stiffness or strength: Concrete is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); Plastic LCP GF30 is lighter for a stiff panel or plate.

Part that must be	Concrete	Plastic LCP GF30
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	1.51x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	lighter	3% heavier
Stiff panel or plate	11% 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).

Thermal

Which conducts heat better, Concrete or Plastic LCP GF30?

Concrete conducts heat better: 0.9 W/m·K against 0.5 W/m·K for Plastic LCP GF30.

Which expands less with temperature?

Concrete expands less: 10 µm/m·K against 20 µm/m·K for Plastic LCP GF30.