Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weightThermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated
Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser
Sources3 documents: Kaiser Aluminum, Cleveland-Cliffs, Steel Construction Institute
Aluminum 3003-O
3003-O (annealed) aluminium-manganese alloy, the heat-exchanger tube and brazing alloy, Kaiser Aluminum Tube & Pipe Alloy 3003 Technical Data (Rev. 05/06), typical properties; specific heat from the NIST cryogenic 3003-F fit at 293 K.
Stainless Steel 304
Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual
1
Alloy 3003 Tube & Pipe Technical Data, Rev. 05/06Kaiser Aluminumarchived copyAluminum 3003-O · Yield strength: typical, O, 0.0625 in specimenAluminum 3003-O · Ultimate tensile strength: typical, OAluminum 3003-O · Elongation at break: typical, O, in 4DAluminum 3003-O · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalAluminum 3003-O · Density: nominal, 20 °CAluminum 3003-O · Thermal conductivity: typical, O, 20 °CAluminum 3003-O · Thermal expansion: typical, mean 20-100 °CAluminum 3003-O · Melting point: melting range
2
304/304L Stainless Steel Product Data Bulletin (2021)Cleveland-CliffsStainless Steel 304 · Yield strength: typical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C)Stainless Steel 304 · Ultimate tensile strength: typical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C)Stainless Steel 304 · Elongation at break: typical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm)Stainless Steel 304 · Young's modulus (stiffness): typical, in tensionStainless Steel 304 · Density: typicalStainless Steel 304 · Thermal conductivity: at 100 °CStainless Steel 304 · Thermal expansion: mean, 0–100 °CStainless Steel 304 · Specific heat: mean, 0–100 °CStainless Steel 304 · Melting point: melting rangeStainless Steel 304 · Max service temperature: continuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air
3
Design Manual for Structural Stainless Steel, 4th Edition (P413)Steel Construction Institutearchived copyStainless Steel 304 · Poisson's ratio: design value (structural stainless steels)
Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Mechanical
Is Aluminum 3003-O stronger than Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against 40 MPa for Aluminum 3003-O (6.03x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum 3003-O or Stainless Steel 304?
Aluminum 3003-O is lighter: 2,730 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless Steel 304.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum 3003-O or Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 69 GPa for Aluminum 3003-O, so the same part in Stainless Steel 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum 3003-O or Stainless Steel 304?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum 3003-O is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; Stainless Steel 304 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam.
Part that must be
Aluminum 3003-O
Stainless Steel 304
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
lighter
5% heavier
Stiff beam (bending)
lighter
1.76x heavier
Stiff panel or plate
lighter
2.09x heavier
Strong rod or tie
2.05x heavier
lighter
Strong beam
13% heavier
lighter
Strong panel or plate
lighter
20% 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 is more ductile, Aluminum 3003-O or Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 stretches further before it breaks: 55% elongation at break against 30% for Aluminum 3003-O.
Thermal
Which conducts heat better, Aluminum 3003-O or Stainless Steel 304?
Aluminum 3003-O conducts heat better: 193 W/m·K against 16.2 W/m·K for Stainless Steel 304.
Which expands less with temperature?
Stainless Steel 304 expands less: 16.9 µm/m·K against 23.2 µm/m·K for Aluminum 3003-O.