Materials / Compare
Glass vs. Stainless 304
Compare Glass 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 | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Flexural strength | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 72GPasourcetypical | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical3.21x lighter | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 16.4kN·m/kg | 30kN·m/kg1.83x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 28.8MN·m/kg20% higher | 24MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.22sourcetypical | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | 29.5GPa | 74.2GPa2.52x stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 42.9GPa | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,367m/s | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 41.5µm growth2.04x less | 84.5µm growth |
| Specific heat | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.426mm²/s | 4.03mm²/s9.47x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 50.1W/m | 838W/m16.7x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| Values for | Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) | 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 Glass stronger than Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against tensile strength 41 MPa for Glass (5.88x).
Which is lighter, Glass or Stainless 304?
Glass is lighter: 2,500 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless 304.
Which is stiffer, Glass or Stainless 304?
Stainless 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 72 GPa for Glass, so the same part in Stainless 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Glass or Stainless 304?
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 304 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam.
| Part that must be | Glass | Stainless 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 20% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 1.96x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.31x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 1.83x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 1% heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 32% 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 304?
Stainless 304 conducts heat better: 16.2 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 16.9 µm/m·K for Stainless 304.