Materials / Compare
Brick vs. Plastic UHMWPE
Compare Brick vs. Plastic UHMWPE 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) | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 5.1MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Compressive strength | 77.9MPasourcemean unit compressive strength, solid extruded brick (survey mean; SD 30.8 MPa) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min |
| Density | 2,082kg/m³sourceface brick density row used for k (BIA notes most fired clay brick 120-130 lb/ft3) | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 2.45kN·m/kg | 21.5kN·m/kg8.78x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 0.71MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 842m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.92–1.12W/m·Ksourcerange for 130 lb/ft3 face brick (ASHRAE 2013 via BIA) | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| Thermal expansion | 7.2µm/m·KsourceTMS Code average coefficient, clay/shale unit masonry | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 36µm growth27.8x less | 1,000µm growth |
| Specific heat | 837J/kg·Ksourcevalue used in BIA heat-capacity sample calculation | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.585mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | not sourced | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating temperature |
| 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 | Celanese GUR 4120 (avg. molecular weight 4.7x10^6 g/mol), typical values on compression-molded specimens; CTE and thermal conductivity from Celanese's generic UHMWPE guide (grade not named) |
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 UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is stronger: its yield strength is 20 MPa against tensile strength 5.1 MPa for Brick (3.92x).
Which is lighter, Brick or Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 2,082 kg/m³ for Brick.
Which is lighter for the same job, Brick or Plastic UHMWPE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic UHMWPE is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Brick | Plastic UHMWPE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 8.78x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 5.57x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 4.43x 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 UHMWPE?
Brick conducts heat better: 1.02 W/m·K against 0.4 W/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Brick expands less: 7.2 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.