Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Iron
Compare Brick vs. Iron 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) | 186MPasourcetypical (0.2% YS), hot rolled + SRA/recrystallization anneal |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 23.7kN·m/kg9.66x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 26.3MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 80.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 158GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 5,132m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth1.9x less | 68.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | 20.7mm²/s35.4x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 3,447W/m |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,532°Csourcetypical |
| 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 | Cleveland-Cliffs / AK Steel ARMCO Pure Iron Product Data Bulletin (07/2022): Table 1 typical physical properties, Table 2 typical mechanical properties after SRA/recrystallization anneal. |
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 Iron?
Iron is stronger: its yield strength is 186 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (36.5x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Iron?
Brick is lighter: 2,082 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Iron?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Iron |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 9.66x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 2.91x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.6x 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 Iron?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 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 13.7 µm/m·K for Iron.