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MDF vs. Graphite

MDF and graphite belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. MDF is a polymeric material, while graphite is ceramic. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 11 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (10, 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 graphite.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa 10
90
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 4.0
21
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 18
18

Thermal Properties

Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 0.3
6.0
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 12
4.9

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 0.75
1.8

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 3.0
6.7
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 71
53
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 6.7
2.9
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 20
8.7
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 27
12