Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Stainless 316
Compare Brick vs. Stainless 316 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) | 265MPasourcetypical (representative), annealed 1.0 mm sheet |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 583MPasourcetypical (representative), annealed 1.0 mm sheet |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 61%sourcetypical (representative), annealed, in 2 in. (51 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 200GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 8,027kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 33kN·m/kg13.5x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 24.9MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 76.9GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 4,992m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 14.6W/m·Ksource20–100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 16.5µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth2.29x less | 82.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | 450J/kg·Ksourceat 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | 4.04mm²/s6.91x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 821W/m |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,390–1,440°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 871–899°Csourceoxidation (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 | ATI 316 (UNS S31600), annealed 1.0 mm sheet, ATI technical data sheet (2012); 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 316?
Stainless 316 is stronger: its yield strength is 265 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (52x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Stainless 316?
Brick is lighter: 2,082 kg/m³ against 8,027 kg/m³ for Stainless 316.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Stainless 316?
For the same stiffness or strength: Stainless 316 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Stainless 316 |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 13.5x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.61x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 1.87x 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 316?
Stainless 316 conducts heat better: 14.6 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 16.5 µm/m·K for Stainless 316.