Materials / Compare
Glass vs. Titanium
Compare Glass vs. Titanium 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) | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 41MPasourcetypical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Flexural strength | 41MPasourcemean MOR (same value as tensile) | not sourced |
| Elongation at break | not sourced | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 72GPasourcetypical | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 2,500kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 16.4kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg12.2x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 28.8MN·m/kg11% higher | 25.8MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.22sourcetypical | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 29.5GPa | 42.7GPa45% stiffer in shear |
| Bulk modulus | 42.9GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,367m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.937W/m·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 8.3µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 75-575 F | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 41.5µm growth8% less | 45µm growth |
| Specific heat | 880J/kg·Ksourcetypical at 75 F | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.426mm²/s | 2.57mm²/s6.03x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 50.1W/m | 3,730W/m74.4x more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | 511°Csourcestrain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| Values for | Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against tensile strength 41 MPa for Glass (21.6x).
Which is lighter, Glass or Titanium?
Glass is lighter: 2,500 kg/m³ against 4,430 kg/m³ for Titanium.
Which is stiffer, Glass or Titanium?
Titanium is stiffer: Young's modulus 115 GPa against 72 GPa for Glass, so the same part in Titanium deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Glass or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate; Titanium is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Glass | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 11% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 41% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 1.52x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | 12.2x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 4.37x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 2.62x 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, Glass or Titanium?
Titanium conducts heat better: 6.6 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 9 µm/m·K for Titanium.