Graphite vs. UHMW-PE
Graphite and UHMW-PE belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Graphite is a ceramic material, while UHMW-PE is polymeric. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 10 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (13, in this case) are not shown.
For each property being compared, the top bar is graphite and the bottom bar is UHMW-PE.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Material Properties
| Density, g/cm3 | 1.8 | |
| 0.94 |
| Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 21 | |
| 0.8 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 6.7 | |
| 0.47 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 53 | |
| 33 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 2.9 | |
| 14 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 8.7 | |
| 32 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 18 | |
| 49 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 6.0 | |
| 0.41 |
| Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 4.9 | |
| 180 |
| Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 12 | |
| 25 |