Materials / Compare
Brass C360 vs. Plastic Polycarbonate
Compare Brass C360 vs. Plastic Polycarbonate strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 310MPasourcetypical, 0.5% extension under load | 65MPasourcetypical, tensile yield |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 400MPasourcetypical | 65MPasourcetypical, stress at break |
| Flexural strength | not sourced | 97MPasourcetypical, flexural strength |
| Elongation at break | 25%sourcetypical, 1 in. rod | 125%sourcetypical, strain at break |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 96.5GPasourcetypical, temper-independent | 2.4GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 8,498kg/m³sourcenominal | 1,200kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 36.5kN·m/kg | 54.2kN·m/kg48% higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 11.4MN·m/kg5.68x higher | 2MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.34sourcebase material: leaded free-machining brass CuZn39Pb2 (C37700), Wieland-Z30 rolled products, reference value at room temperature | 0.38sourcetypical, polycarbonate family (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) |
| Shear modulus | 36GPa41.4x stiffer in shear | 0.87GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 101GPa | 3.33GPa |
| Speed of sound | 3,370m/s | 1,414m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 116W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C | 0.2W/m·Ksourcetypical, through-plane, 23 C |
| Thermal expansion | 20.5µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 20-300 °C | 65µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 23-55 C, parallel and normal |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 103µm growth3.17x less | 325µm growth |
| Specific heat | 377J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C | 1,172J/kg·Ksourcetypical (guide value), Bayer ASTM datasheet for Makrolon 2405, ASTM D 2766 |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 36.2mm²/s255x faster | 0.142mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 11,997W/m232x more resistant | 51.7W/m |
| Melting point | 888–899°Csourcesolidus-liquidus | not sourced |
| Glass transition | not sourced | 144°Csourcetypical, DSC 10 C/min |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 125°CsourceUL 746B RTI, tensile strength, 1.5 mm |
| Values for | C36000 free-cutting brass, H02 half-hard rod 1 in. section (20% cold work), copper.org typical values | Covestro Makrolon 2405 general-purpose PC (MVR 19), Covestro technical datasheet version 2026-09-28, typical values |
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 Brass C360 stronger than Plastic Polycarbonate?
Brass C360 is stronger: its yield strength is 310 MPa against 65 MPa for Plastic Polycarbonate (4.77x).
Which is lighter, Brass C360 or Plastic Polycarbonate?
Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter: 1,200 kg/m³ against 8,498 kg/m³ for Brass C360.
Which is stiffer, Brass C360 or Plastic Polycarbonate?
Brass C360 is stiffer: Young's modulus 96.5 GPa against 2.4 GPa for Plastic Polycarbonate, so the same part in Brass C360 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brass C360 or Plastic Polycarbonate?
For the same stiffness or strength: Brass C360 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension); Plastic Polycarbonate is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brass C360 | Plastic Polycarbonate |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 5.68x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 12% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 2.07x heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 48% heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.5x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 3.24x 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, Brass C360 or Plastic Polycarbonate?
Brass C360 conducts heat better: 116 W/m·K against 0.2 W/m·K for Plastic Polycarbonate.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brass C360 expands less: 20.5 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for Plastic Polycarbonate.