PVC-P vs. 5040 Aluminum
PVC-P and 5040 aluminum belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. PVC-P is a polymeric material, while 5040 aluminum is a metal. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 16 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (26, in this case) are not shown.
For each property being compared, the top bar is PVC-P and the bottom bar is 5040 aluminum.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
| Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 1.4 | |
| 70 |
| Elongation at Break, % | 180 | |
| 5.7 to 6.8 |
| Poisson's Ratio | 0.39 | |
| 0.33 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 16 | |
| 240 to 260 |
Thermal Properties
| Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 75 | |
| 190 |
| Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 190 | |
| 600 |
| Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 1400 | |
| 900 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 0.17 | |
| 160 |
| Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 160 | |
| 23 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
| Density, g/cm3 | 1.4 | |
| 2.8 |
Common Calculations
| Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 0.57 | |
| 14 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 28 | |
| 50 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 3.2 | |
| 24 to 26 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 10 | |
| 31 to 32 |
| Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 0.090 | |
| 64 |
| Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 4.9 | |
| 10 to 11 |