Plastic TPU vs. SLA Resin Elastic 50A

Compare Plastic TPU vs. SLA Resin Elastic 50A strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

SLA Resin Elastic 50A3D printed (SLA resin)

Mechanical	Plastic TPU	SLA Resin Elastic 50A
Yield strength	not given (tensile used)	not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength	23.7MPa1	3.4MPa2
Flexural strength	4.1MPa1	not sourced
Elongation at break	not sourced	160%2
Young's modulus (stiffness)	0.067GPa1	not sourced
Density	1,220kg/m³1	1,010kg/m³221% lighter
Strength to weight	19.4kN·m/kg5.77x higher	3.37kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	0.0549MN·m/kg	not sourced
Poisson's ratio	not sourced	not sourced
Shear modulus	not sourced	not sourced
Bulk modulus	not sourced	not sourced
Speed of sound	234m/s	not sourced

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Plastic TPU	SLA Resin Elastic 50A
Thermal conductivity	not sourced	not sourced
Thermal expansion	not sourced	not sourced
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	not sourced	not sourced
Specific heat	not sourced	not sourced
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	not sourced	not sourced
Thermal shock resistance	not sourced	not sourced
Melting point	217°C1	not sourced
Glass transition	not sourced	DMA-34.5°C2
Max service temperature	HDT 0.455 MPa50.3°C1	not sourced

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

Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser	Open in LessCAD	Open in LessCAD

Sources2 documents: UltiMaker, Formlabs

Plastic TPU: 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.
SLA Resin Elastic 50A: Formlabs Elastic 50A Resin V2 (FLELCL02), TDS Rev. 01 24.01.2024; parts printed on Form 3, 100 µm, Elastic 50A V2 settings and post-processing; tensile on Die C specimens cut from printed sheets after 3+ h at 23 °C.

1
Ultimaker TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet, v5.00UltiMakerarchived copyPlastic TPU · Ultimate tensile strength: typical, stress at breakPlastic TPU · Flexural strength: typicalPlastic TPU · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalPlastic TPU · Density: typicalPlastic TPU · Melting point: typicalPlastic TPU · Max service temperature: HDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens)
2
Elastic 50A Resin V2 Technical Data Sheet (2024)Formlabsarchived copySLA Resin Elastic 50A · Ultimate tensile strength: typicalSLA Resin Elastic 50A · Elongation at break: typicalSLA Resin Elastic 50A · Density: typicalSLA Resin Elastic 50A · Glass transition: DMA

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.

Plastic TPU and SLA Resin Elastic 50A are 3D printed: their properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.

Questions

Mechanical

Is Plastic TPU stronger than SLA Resin Elastic 50A?

Plastic TPU is stronger: its tensile strength is 23.7 MPa against 3.4 MPa for SLA Resin Elastic 50A (6.97x).

Which is lighter, Plastic TPU or SLA Resin Elastic 50A?

SLA Resin Elastic 50A is lighter: 1,010 kg/m³ against 1,220 kg/m³ for Plastic TPU.

Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic TPU or SLA Resin Elastic 50A?

For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic TPU is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.

Part that must be	Plastic TPU	SLA Resin Elastic 50A
Strong rod or tie	lighter	5.77x heavier
Strong beam	lighter	3.02x heavier
Strong panel or plate	lighter	2.19x 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).