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Zamak 3 vs. Thermoset PI

Zamak 3 and thermoset PI belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Zamak 3 is a metal, while thermoset PI 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 (38, 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 thermoset PI.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa 410
120 to 210
Elongation at Break, % 11
2.0 to 5.9
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
37 to 81

Thermal Properties

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 95
260
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 410
1130
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 110
0.29 to 1.7
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 27
38 to 54

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 6.4
1.4 to 1.6

Common Calculations

Strength to Weight: Axial, points 12
6.5 to 16
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 15
16 to 30
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 43
0.18 to 0.95