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MDF vs. C16500 Copper

MDF and C16500 copper belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. MDF is a polymeric material, while C16500 copper 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 C16500 copper.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 4.0
110
Elongation at Break, % 0.5
1.5 to 53
Poisson's Ratio 0.25
0.34
Shear Modulus, GPa 2.5
43
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 18
280 to 530

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 1700
380
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 0.3
250
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 12
17

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 0.75
8.9

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 3.0
7.1
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 71
18
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 6.7
8.6 to 17
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 20
11 to 16
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 0.24
74
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 27
9.8 to 19