Every material DBM supplies, sorted on each of the seven properties that most often settle a specification. The tables come straight from the dataset behind our material selector, so a ranking here is the same number you would get from the tool.
Four things worth knowing before reading a single row.
| 1 | Density is a process setting, not a fixed property. The same material can be molded light or dense, and load moves with it. That is why a material can top the density ranking and sit mid-table on load. |
| 2 | Each ranking uses the end of the range that the ranking is about: the lightest ranking reads the bottom of each density range, the load ranking reads the top. The full range is printed in every row so you can see the span. |
| 3 | Almost every part is settled by two or three requirements at once. Winning one column often means losing another: the highest-load material here is also one of the heaviest. |
| 4 | Twelve of the thirteen are bead foams shaped in a steam-chest mold. EPE is the exception: it is extruded sheet and roll stock, cut and laminated rather than molded, and it is listed here so the property comparison is complete. |
| Ranked on | Leader | Value | What the number is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightest | EPS | 15 kg/m³ | Molded density |
| Highest load | E-PA | 8700 kPa | Compression stress at 10% strain |
| Best insulation | EPS | 0.032 W/(m·K) | Thermal conductivity |
| Highest service temperature | E-PA, ETPEE | 120 °C | Long-term service temperature |
| Coldest service | MPPE | −80 °C | Minimum service temperature |
| Highest rebound | EPEBA | 70 % | Energy return |
| Strongest in tension | E-PA | 8000 kPa | Tensile strength |
Lightest: Molded density (ISO 845)
Lower density means less material in the part and less freight, but load capacity falls with it.
| Rank | Material | Molded density (kg/m³) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EPS | 15–60 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 2 | EPO | 16–33 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 3 | EPP | 20–66 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 3 | Beaded EPE | 20–74 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 3 | EPE | 20–45 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
| 6 | EPLA | 25–40 | Compostable, green export packaging |
| 7 | EVA | 30–50 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
| 8 | MPPE | 100–285 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 8 | EPEBA | 100–350 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 8 | ETPEE | 100–150 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 11 | E-PA | 150–600 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 11 | E-PET | 150–300 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 13 | ETPU | 180–300 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
Highest load: Compression stress at 10% strain (ISO 844)
The load a part carries before it starts to deform. Read it together with density: the top of each range belongs to that material at its densest.
| Rank | Material | Compression stress at 10% strain (kPa) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E-PA | 2200–8700 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 2 | MPPE | 1100–5000 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 3 | E-PET | 1000–3800 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 4 | EPEBA | 50–800 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 5 | EPS | 60–430 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 6 | EPP | 50–325 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 7 | Beaded EPE | 44.8–241.3 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 8 | EPLA | 160–200 | Compostable, green export packaging |
| 9 | EPO | 90–160 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 10 | EPE | 22–88 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
| 11 | ETPU | 40–80 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
| 12 | ETPEE | 30–60 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 13 | EVA | 20–30 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
Best insulation: Thermal conductivity (JIS A1412)
Lower conducts less heat. On a cold-chain shipper this is the difference between hours of holdover time.
| Rank | Material | Thermal conductivity (W/(m·K)) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EPS | 0.032–0.037 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 2 | Beaded EPE | 0.0346–0.0433 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 3 | MPPE | 0.035–0.05 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 3 | EPLA | 0.035 | Compostable, green export packaging |
| 5 | EPP | 0.036–0.042 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 6 | EPO | 0.037–0.039 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 7 | E-PET | 0.038–0.059 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 8 | EPE | 0.039–0.044 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
| 9 | EVA | 0.04 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
| 9 | EPEBA | 0.04–0.045 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 11 | ETPEE | 0.042–0.048 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 12 | E-PA | 0.045–0.08 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 12 | ETPU | 0.045–0.055 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
Highest service temperature: Long-term service temperature (GB/T 10801.1)
Continuous mechanical service, not a short excursion. A sealed container on a summer quay reaches 70 °C without difficulty.
| Rank | Material | Long-term service temperature (°C) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E-PA | 120 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 1 | ETPEE | 120 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 3 | E-PET | 110 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 4 | MPPE | 105 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 5 | EPP | 100 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 6 | EPO | 80 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 6 | Beaded EPE | 80 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 6 | EPE | 80 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
| 6 | EPEBA | 80 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 6 | ETPU | 80 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
| 11 | EPS | 75 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 12 | EVA | 65 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
| 13 | EPLA | 50 | Compostable, green export packaging |
Coldest service: Minimum service temperature
Below this the material turns brittle. Deep-frozen logistics and high-altitude airframes live here.
| Rank | Material | Minimum service temperature (°C) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MPPE | −80 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 2 | Beaded EPE | −70 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 3 | EPE | −60 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
| 4 | EPO | −50 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 4 | EPS | −50 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 6 | EPP | −40 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 6 | EVA | −40 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
| 6 | E-PA | −40 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 6 | E-PET | −40 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 6 | EPEBA | −40 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 6 | ETPEE | −40 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 12 | ETPU | −30 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
| 13 | EPLA | −20 | Compostable, green export packaging |
Highest rebound: Energy return (ISO 8307)
How much energy comes back. High rebound suits footwear and sports; cushioning that protects a payload wants the energy absorbed, not returned.
| Rank | Material | Energy return (%) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EPEBA | 70 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 2 | ETPU | 57 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
| 3 | ETPEE | 55 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 4 | Beaded EPE | 50 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 5 | E-PA | 30–45 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 6 | EPO | 25–40 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 7 | EVA | 37 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
| 8 | EPE | 30–35 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
| 8 | MPPE | 20–35 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 8 | E-PET | 20–35 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 11 | EPP | 30 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 12 | EPS | 5–15 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 12 | EPLA | 5–15 | Compostable, green export packaging |
Strongest in tension: Tensile strength (ISO 1926)
Resistance to being pulled apart. Relevant wherever a part is clipped, bolted or lifted rather than only pressed.
| Rank | Material | Tensile strength (kPa) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E-PA | 2000–8000 | Oil & chemical resistant, engine-bay structures |
| 2 | MPPE | 1000–2800 | UL94 V-0 flame retardant, battery packs & 5G radomes |
| 3 | E-PET | 1000–2600 | 180°C dimensional stability, UL94 V-0 grade available, composite cores |
| 4 | ETPU | 800–1600 | Endures repeated compression, running midsoles & guards |
| 5 | EPP | 420–1350 | Repeated impact, automotive parts & returnable crates |
| 6 | ETPEE | 1200 | -40 to 120°C, heavy-duty damping |
| 7 | EPEBA | 1000 | Bio-based amide elastomer, 70% rebound, footwear & sports |
| 8 | EPS | 130–900 | Most economical, insulating packaging |
| 9 | Beaded EPE | 275.8–827.4 | Soft, scratch-free, electronics inserts |
| 10 | EVA | 520–749 | Soft and conforming, liners & gaskets |
| 11 | EPO | 280–530 | Stiff but not brittle, appliance & instrument inserts |
| 12 | EPLA | 300–500 | Compostable, green export packaging |
| 13 | EPE | 282–478 | Extruded sheet & roll stock, cut and laminated into cushioning |
These are the application families our material selector is built around, and what each one optimises for before anything else. Pick the family, then read the matching ranking above.
| Application family | What the selector optimises for | Hard requirement it starts from |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive & New Energy | lowest weight | a flame requirement |
| Battery & Energy Storage | load capacity | a flame requirement |
| Drone & RC Models | lowest weight | a weight ceiling |
| Returnable Logistics | lowest cost | no hard constraint |
| Appliance & Electronics | lowest cost | no hard constraint |
| Footwear & Sports | lowest weight | no hard constraint |
| Protective Packaging | lowest cost | an end-of-life requirement |
Read one pair all the way through
EPS molds down to 15 kg/m³, the lowest density in this line-up. Density is a process setting rather than a fixed property, so the same material can be molded heavier when the part needs to carry more.
E-PA reaches 8700 kPa at 10% strain, the highest here. That figure belongs to its densest grade. Load and density move together, so compare load at the density your part can afford.
EPS, at 0.032 W/(m·K). Every material on this page is a closed-cell foam, so the spread across the whole set is narrower than the ranking suggests.
MPPE, down to −80 °C. Below a material's minimum service temperature it turns brittle, which is why deep-frozen logistics and high-altitude airframes are decided on this row rather than on load.
EPEBA, returning 70% of the energy it takes. High rebound is what footwear and sports protection want; a cushion protecting a payload wants the opposite, absorbing the energy rather than returning it.
No. Almost every part is decided by two or three requirements at once, and the material that wins one column often loses another. Use the rankings to narrow the field, then read the pair you are left with against each other, or run the requirements through the material selector.
Send the part and what it has to survive. We come back with a material, a density grade and a sample plan, normally within 48 hours. Or filter the same thirteen materials yourself in the selector.