Materials / Compare
Glass vs. Stainless 303
Compare Glass vs. Stainless 303 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) | 275MPasourceOutokumpu typical (product P = hot rolled plate, transverse) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability | 585MPasourceOutokumpu typical |
| Flexural strength | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 35%sourceOutokumpu typical, A5 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 72GPasourcetypical | 200GPasourceat RT (Table 12) |
| Density | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical | 7,900kg/m³sourceat RT |
| Strength to weight | 16.4kN·m/kg | 34.8kN·m/kg2.12x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 28.8MN·m/kg14% higher | 25.3MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.22sourcetypical | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | 29.5GPa | 76.9GPa2.61x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 42.9GPa | 167GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,367m/s | 5,032m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 15W/m·Ksourceat RT |
| Thermal expansion | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F | 16µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 41.5µm growth1.93x less | 80µm growth |
| Specific heat | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 500J/kg·Ksourceat RT |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.426mm²/s | 3.8mm²/s8.92x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 50.1W/m | 902W/m18x more resistant |
| Max service temperature | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit | 871°Csourcecontinuous, scaling limit |
| Values for | Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) | 1.4305 / UNS S30300, Outokumpu typical values (hot rolled, solution annealed) from 'Steel Grades, Properties and Global Standards'; max service from Carpenter CarTech 303 datasheet |
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 Glass stronger than Stainless 303?
Stainless 303 is stronger: its yield strength is 275 MPa against tensile strength 41 MPa for Glass (6.71x).
Which is lighter, Glass or Stainless 303?
Glass is lighter: 2,500 kg/m³ against 7,900 kg/m³ for Stainless 303.
Which is stiffer, Glass or Stainless 303?
Stainless 303 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 72 GPa for Glass, so the same part in Stainless 303 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Glass or Stainless 303?
For the same stiffness or strength: Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong panel or plate; Stainless 303 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Glass | Stainless 303 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 14% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 1.9x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.25x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 2.12x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 13% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 22% heavier |
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, Glass or Stainless 303?
Stainless 303 conducts heat better: 15 W/m·K against 0.937 W/m·K for Glass.
Which expands less with temperature?
Glass expands less: 8.3 µm/m·K against 16 µm/m·K for Stainless 303.