Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Plastic HDPE
Compare Brick vs. Plastic HDPE 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 | not given (tensile used) | 24MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield 23 °C, 50 mm/min ISO 527 |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | not sourced |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 0.9GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus 23 °C ISO 527 |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 950kg/m³sourcetypical, ISO 1183 |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 25.3kN·m/kg10.3x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 0.947MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.4–0.45sourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 0.316GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 2GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 973m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 0.4–0.49W/m·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 120µm/m·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth16.7x less | 600µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 2,250J/kg·Ksourcebase material: high-density polyethylene family (INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, Typical Engineering Properties of HDPE) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s2.81x faster | 0.208mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 56.9W/m |
| Values for | 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 | LyondellBasell Hostalen 23050 B high density polyethylene, typical ISO 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 Brick stronger than Plastic HDPE?
Plastic HDPE is stronger: its yield strength is 24 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (4.71x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Plastic HDPE?
Plastic HDPE is lighter: 950 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Plastic HDPE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic HDPE is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Plastic HDPE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 10.3x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 6.15x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 4.75x 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, Brick or Plastic HDPE?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.445 W/m·K for Plastic HDPE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 120 µm/m·K for Plastic HDPE.