300°Csourceproducer's maximum application temperature (optical components)
Values for
KYOCERA AN216A dense sintered aluminium nitride, typical values; KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe data sheet 2023.04.03
Synthetic single-crystal silicon (cubic, diamond structure), Korth Kristalle (crystal grower) material data; Korth usually supplies Floating Zone (FZ) material, Czochralski (Cz) also offered. Silicon is elastically anisotropic; the producer quotes one modulus and the solver is isotropic.
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
Which is lighter, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Silicon?
Silicon is lighter: 2,329 kg/m³ against 3,400 kg/m³ for Ceramic Aluminum Nitride.
Which is stiffer, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Silicon?
Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is stiffer: Young's modulus 320 GPa against 131 GPa for Silicon, so the same part in Ceramic Aluminum Nitride deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Silicon?
For the same stiffness or strength: Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending); Silicon is lighter for a stiff panel or plate.
Part that must be
Ceramic Aluminum Nitride
Silicon
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
lighter
1.67x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)
lighter
7% heavier
Stiff panel or plate
8% 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, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Silicon?
Silicon conducts heat better: 163 W/m·K against 150 W/m·K for Ceramic Aluminum Nitride.
Which expands less with temperature?
Silicon expands less: 2.62 µm/m·K against 4.6 µm/m·K for Ceramic Aluminum Nitride.