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Graphite vs. SAE-AISI 4150 Steel

Graphite and SAE-AISI 4150 steel belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Graphite is a ceramic material, while SAE-AISI 4150 steel is a metal. 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 (24, 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 graphite and the bottom bar is SAE-AISI 4150 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 21
190
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 18
660 to 1310

Thermal Properties

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 220
420
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 6.0
42
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 4.9
13

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 1.8
7.8

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 6.7
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 53
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 2.9
24 to 47
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 8.7
22 to 34
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 12
19 to 39