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Glass vs. Wood Compare Glass vs. Wood strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
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Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall Glass Natural Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA Rubber Wood Aluminum Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Steel Steel AISI 1018 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Iron Titanium Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Brass C360 Brass C260 Copper C110 Glass Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Standard SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Concrete Brick Plywood Drywall Wood Natural 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) not given (tensile used) Ultimate tensile strength 41 MPa source typical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probability 99 MPa source modulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) Compressive strength not sourced 46.6 MPa source compression parallel to grain (maximum crushing strength), 12% MC Flexural strength 41 MPa source mean MOR (same value as tensile) 99 MPa source modulus of rupture (static bending), 12% MC Elongation at break not sourced not sourced Young's modulus (stiffness) 72 GPa source typical 12.5 GPa source bending MOE, parallel to grain Density 2,500 kg/m³ source typical not sourced Strength to weight 16.4 kN·m/kg not sourced Stiffness to weight 28.8 MN·m/kg not sourced Poisson's ratio 0.22 source typical 0.35 source mu_LR (red oak group, ~12% MC) Shear modulus 29.5 GPa 6.37x stiffer in shear 4.63 GPa Bulk modulus 42.9 GPa 13.9 GPa Speed of sound 5,367 m/s not sourced Thermal Thermal conductivity 0.937 W/m·K source typical at 75 F 0.18 W/m·K source across grain, 12% MC (Table 4-7, approximate) Thermal expansion 8.3 µm/m·K source typical, 75-575 F 3.1–4.5 µm/m·K source parallel to grain, ovendry wood, range across species 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing 41.5 µm growth 19 µm growth 2.18x less Specific heat 880 J/kg·K source typical at 75 F 1,700 J/kg·K source solid wood (all species), 12% MC, 27 C Heats up and cools (diffusivity) 0.426 mm²/s not sourced Thermal shock resistance 50.1 W/m 244 W/m 4.86x more resistant Max service temperature 511 °C source strain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit not sourced Values for Annealed soda-lime-silica float glass, Pilkington North America Technical Bulletin ATS-129 (04/2025) Northern red oak (Quercus rubra), clear straight-grained specimens at 12% MC, parallel to grain unless stated; USDA FPL Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021) Ch. 4 and Ch. 5
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 Wood? Wood is stronger: its tensile strength is 99 MPa against 41 MPa for Glass (2.41x).
Which is stiffer, Glass or Wood? Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 12.5 GPa for Wood, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which conducts heat better, Glass or Wood? Glass conducts heat better: 0.937 W/m·K against 0.18 W/m·K for Wood.
Which expands less with temperature? Wood expands less: 3.8 µm/m·K against 8.3 µm/m·K for Glass.
Among 59 materials 1k 10k 0.1 1 10 100 Density (kg/m³) Young's modulus (GPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Glass Stiffness against density 1k 10k 10 100 1k Density (kg/m³) Yield strength (MPa) Plastic PLA Plastic PETG Plastic ABS Plastic TPU Plastic Nylon Rubber Aluminum Steel Iron Titanium Steel AISI 1018 Stainless 304 Stainless 316 Aluminum 6061-T6 Aluminum 7075-T6 Brass C360 Copper C110 Steel AISI 1045 Steel AISI 4340 Steel A992 Stainless 303 Stainless 17-4PH Aluminum 2024-T351 Aluminum 5052-H32 Aluminum 7050-T7451 Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Brass C260 Nickel Inconel 718 Magnesium AZ31B-H24 Zinc Zamak 3 Plastic ABS (bulk/injection) Plastic Polycarbonate Plastic POM/Acetal Plastic Nylon PA6 Plastic Nylon PA66 Plastic PEEK Plastic PTFE Plastic UHMWPE Plastic HDPE Plastic Polypropylene Plastic PMMA FDM ASA FDM Polycarbonate FDM PAHT-CF FDM HIPS SLA Resin Tough 2000 SLA Resin Elastic 50A SLS PA12 Nylon DMLS AlSi10Mg Aluminum DMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium DMLS 316L Stainless Steel DMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel Brick Glass Strength against density