Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Stainless 304
Compare Brick vs. Stainless 304 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) | 241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 30kN·m/kg12.3x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 24MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 74.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth2.35x less | 84.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | 4.03mm²/s6.89x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 838W/m |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| 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 | 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 |
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 Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (47.3x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Stainless 304?
Brick is lighter: 2,082 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless 304.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Stainless 304?
For the same stiffness or strength: Stainless 304 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Stainless 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 12.3x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.39x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.78x 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 Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 conducts heat better: 16.2 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 16.9 µm/m·K for Stainless 304.