MDF vs. 6351 Aluminum
MDF and 6351 aluminum belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. MDF is a polymeric material, while 6351 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 6351 aluminum.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 4.0 | |
69 |
Elongation at Break, % | 0.5 | |
7.8 to 18 |
Poisson's Ratio | 0.25 | |
0.33 |
Shear Modulus, GPa | 2.5 | |
26 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 18 | |
140 to 310 |
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 1700 | |
900 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 0.3 | |
180 |
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 | |
14 to 32 |
Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 20 | |
22 to 38 |
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 0.24 | |
72 |
Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 27 | |
6.1 to 14 |