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ASA vs. Balsa

ASA belongs to the thermoplastics classification, while balsa belongs to the wood-based materials. There are 13 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (8, 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 ASA and the bottom bar is balsa.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 2.6
3.0
Elongation at Break, % 6.0
1.2
Shear Modulus, GPa 0.8
0.23
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 55
14

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 1300
1700
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 0.18
0.1
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 95
6.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 1.1
0.13

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 1.3
13
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 14
30
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 30
99
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 0.13
0.45
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 16
51