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MDF vs. 1230A Aluminum

MDF and 1230A aluminum belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. MDF is a polymeric material, while 1230A aluminum is a metal. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 15 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (17, 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 MDF and the bottom bar is 1230A aluminum.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 4.0
69
Elongation at Break, % 0.5
4.5 to 34
Poisson's Ratio 0.25
0.33
Shear Modulus, GPa 2.5
26
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 18
89 to 170

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 1700
900
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 0.3
230
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 12
23

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 0.75
2.7

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 3.0
14
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 71
50
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 6.7
9.1 to 17
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 20
16 to 25
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 0.24
93
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 27
4.0 to 7.6