Materials / Compare
Aluminum 6061-T6 vs. Brick
Compare Aluminum 6061-T6 vs. Brick strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 276MPasourcetypical, 0.2% offset, .500 in dia specimen | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 310MPasourcetypical | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) |
| Compressive strength | not sourced | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) |
| Elongation at break | 17%sourcetypical, in 4D, 0.500 in dia specimen | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 68.3GPasourcetypical | not sourced |
| Density | 2,700kg/m³sourcenominal | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) |
| Strength to weight | 102kN·m/kg41.7x higher | 2.45kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 25.3MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.33sourcetypical (handbook physical constant) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 25.7GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 67GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 5,030m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 167W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) |
| Thermal expansion | 23.6µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-100 °C | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 118µm growth | 36µm growth3.28x less |
| Specific heat | 896J/kg·Ksourcetypical, at 100 °C | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 69mm²/s118x faster | 0.585mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 19,159W/m | not sourced |
| Melting point | 582–652°Csourcesolidus-liquidus | not sourced |
| Values for | 6061-T6/T651, Kaiser Aluminum typical properties; Poisson from MIL-HDBK-5J | Solid extruded clay/shale brick units (BIA 1993 manufacturer survey, TN 3A 2024); face brick of 130 lb/ft3 for thermal properties (BIA TN 4, from ASHRAE 2013); CTE is the TMS Code value for clay/shale masonry |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Is Aluminum 6061-T6 stronger than Brick?
Aluminum 6061-T6 is stronger: its yield strength is 276 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (54.1x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum 6061-T6 or Brick?
Brick is lighter: 2,082 kg/m³ against 2,700 kg/m³ for Aluminum 6061-T6.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum 6061-T6 or Brick?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum 6061-T6 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Aluminum 6061-T6 | Brick |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 41.7x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 11x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 5.67x heavier |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, Aluminum 6061-T6 or Brick?
Aluminum 6061-T6 conducts heat better: 167 W/m·K against 1.02 W/m·K for Brick.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 23.6 µm/m·K for Aluminum 6061-T6.