1100-O (annealed) commercially pure aluminium, Kaiser Aluminum Tube & Pipe Alloy 1100 Technical Data (Rev. 05/06), typical properties; specific heat from Hydro EN AW-1050A (99.5% Al) extruded-products datasheet (10/2018).
Celanese Fortron 1140L4 (PPS, 40% glass fibre), injection moulding; FORTRON PPS Short-Term Properties Guide (PPS-012, 2016); thermal conductivity and Poisson for 40% glass-reinforced Fortron from the Fortron PPS Design Manual (PPS-050, 2013).
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 1100-O stronger than Plastic PPS GF40?
Plastic PPS GF40 is stronger: its tensile strength is 195 MPa against yield strength 35 MPa for Aluminum 1100-O (5.57x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum 1100-O or Plastic PPS GF40?
Plastic PPS GF40 is lighter: 1,650 kg/m³ against 2,710 kg/m³ for Aluminum 1100-O.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum 1100-O or Plastic PPS GF40?
Aluminum 1100-O is stiffer: Young's modulus 69 GPa against 14.7 GPa for Plastic PPS GF40, so the same part in Aluminum 1100-O deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum 1100-O or Plastic PPS GF40?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum 1100-O is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; Plastic PPS GF40 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
Part that must be
Aluminum 1100-O
Plastic PPS GF40
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
lighter
2.86x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)
lighter
32% heavier
Stiff panel or plate
lighter
2% heavier
Strong rod or tie
9.15x heavier
lighter
Strong beam
5.16x heavier
lighter
Strong panel or plate
3.88x heavier
lighter
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 1100-O or Plastic PPS GF40?
Aluminum 1100-O conducts heat better: 222 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for Plastic PPS GF40.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic PPS GF40 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 23.6 µm/m·K for Aluminum 1100-O.