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ACI-ASTM CA40 Steel vs. Balsa

ACI-ASTM CA40 steel and balsa belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. ACI-ASTM CA40 steel is a metal, while balsa is a polymeric material. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 14 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (20, in this case) are not shown. Please note that the two materials have significantly dissimilar densities. This means that additional care is required when interpreting the data, because some material properties are based on units of mass, while others are based on units of area or volume.

For each property being compared, the top bar is ACI-ASTM CA40 steel and the bottom bar is balsa.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 190
3.0
Elongation at Break, % 10
1.2
Poisson's Ratio 0.28
0.38
Shear Modulus, GPa 76
0.23
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 910
14

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 480
1700
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 25
0.1
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 10
6.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 7.7
0.13

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
13
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 33
30
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 27
99
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 6.7
0.45
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 33
51