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ASTM A36 Carbon Steel vs. UHMW-PE

ASTM A36 carbon steel and UHMW-PE belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. ASTM A36 carbon steel is a metal, while UHMW-PE is a polymeric material. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 14 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (21, 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 ASTM A36 carbon steel and the bottom bar is UHMW-PE.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 190
0.8
Elongation at Break, % 22
400
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 480
49

Thermal Properties

Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 1420
130
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 470
1750
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 50
0.41
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 11
180

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 7.9
0.94

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
0.47
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 24
33
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 17
14
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 17
32
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 14
0.25
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 16
25