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Zamak 3 vs. CA

Zamak 3 and CA belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Zamak 3 is a metal, while CA is a polymeric material. 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 (39, 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 Zamak 3 and the bottom bar is CA.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elongation at Break, % 11
25 to 30
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
30 to 37
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 210
26 to 33

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 410
1500
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 110
0.25
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 27
14

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 6.4
1.3

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 28
8.6 to 8.9
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 12
6.4 to 7.9
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 15
17 to 19
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 43
0.13