Borosilicate Glass vs. PPO

Borosilicate glass and PPO belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Borosilicate glass is a ceramic material, while PPO is polymeric. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 12 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (22, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is borosilicate glass and the bottom bar is PPO.

Borosilicate Glass Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO)

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Flexural Strength, MPa		34 to 69
Flexural Strength, MPa		92 to 140

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		280
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		63 to 140

Thermal Properties

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C		360
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C		100 to 110

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		830
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		1020 to 1250

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		3.3 to 5.1
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		25 to 60

Electrical Properties

Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) At 1 Hz		4.8 to 5.5
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) At 1 Hz		2.7 to 3.2

Dielectric Strength (Breakdown Potential), kV/mm		5.0 to 34
Dielectric Strength (Breakdown Potential), kV/mm		19 to 21

Electrical Dissipation At 1 Hz		0.0026 to 0.018
Electrical Dissipation At 1 Hz		0.0010 to 0.0020

Electrical Resistivity Order of Magnitude, 10^x Ω-m		9.0 to 12
Electrical Resistivity Order of Magnitude, 10^x Ω-m		15

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm³		2.2 to 2.6
Density, g/cm³		1.1 to 1.4

Common Calculations

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		30 to 35
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		16 to 27

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		36 to 43
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		33 to 42