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1060 Aluminum vs. MDF

1060 aluminum and MDF belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. 1060 aluminum is a metal, while MDF is a polymeric material. 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 (18, 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 1060 aluminum and the bottom bar is MDF.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 68
4.0
Elongation at Break, % 1.1 to 30
0.5
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.25
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
2.5
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 67 to 130
18

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
1700
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 230
0.3
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 24
12

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 2.7
0.75

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
3.0
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
71
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 6.9 to 13
6.7
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 14 to 21
20
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 96
0.24
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 3.0 to 5.6
27