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HDPE vs. Balsa

HDPE belongs to the thermoplastics classification, while balsa belongs to the wood-based materials. There are 6 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (14, 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 HDPE and the bottom bar is balsa.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Material Properties

Density, g/cm3 1.0 to 1.3
0.13
Elongation at Break, % 2.5 to 100
1.2
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 1330 to 2400
1700
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 6.9 to 17
30
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 19 to 32
99
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 24 to 80
14