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Zamak 3 vs. Silicone Plastic

Zamak 3 and silicone plastic belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Zamak 3 is a metal, while silicone plastic is a polymeric material. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 12 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (28, 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 silicone plastic.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 86
9.0
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
38

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 410
850
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 110
0.35
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 27
35

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 6.4
1.9

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 7.5
2.6
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 23
36
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 12
5.5
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 15
13
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 43
0.22
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 8.6
8.5