Materials / Compare

Rubber vs. Wood

Compare Rubber vs. Wood strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

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RubberBulk polymer (molded or machined)
WoodNatural
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Mechanical
Yield strengthnot given (tensile used)not given (tensile used)
Ultimate tensile strength23MPasourcetypical99MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value)
Compressive strengthnot sourced46.6MPasourcecompression parallel to grain (maximum crushing strength), 12% MC
Flexural strengthnot sourced99MPasourcemodulus of rupture (static bending), 12% MC
Elongation at break830%sourcetypicalnot sourced
Young's modulus (stiffness)not sourced12.5GPasourcebending MOE, parallel to grain
Density960kg/m³sourcetypical (specific gravity)not sourced
Strength to weight24kN·m/kgnot sourced
Stiffness to weightnot sourcednot sourced
Poisson's ratio0.5sourcegovernment (NBS J. Res. 68A, 1964): computed by NBS for peroxide-cured gum NR vulcanizate, 25 °C, infinitesimal deformation0.49 in the solver: the linear element locks as the ratio nears 0.5 (nearly incompressible).0.35sourcemu_LR (red oak group, ~12% MC)
Shear modulusnot sourced4.63GPa
Bulk modulusnot sourced13.9GPa
Speed of soundnot sourcednot sourced
Thermal
Thermal conductivity0.151W/m·Ksourcegovernment selected value (US Army Natick Laboratories TR 66-49-PR, 1966), soft vulcanized natural rubber, 25 °C0.18W/m·Ksourceacross grain, 12% MC (Table 4-7, approximate)
Thermal expansionnot sourced3.1–4.5µm/m·Ksourceparallel to grain, ovendry wood, range across species
100 mm part over a 50 °C swingnot sourced19µm growth
Specific heat1,881J/kg·Ksourcegovernment (NBS J. Res. 68A, Table 7; values observed for unvulcanized NR by Bekkedahl and Matheson), 25 °C1,700J/kg·Ksourcesolid wood (all species), 12% MC, 27 C
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)0.0836mm²/snot sourced
Thermal shock resistancenot sourced244W/m
Max service temperature70°Csourcecontinuous use operating rangenot sourced
Values forWeir Minerals Linatex Premium rubber (95 % natural rubber), typical physical properties, spec sheet WMD0118/202305Northern 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 Rubber stronger than Wood?

Wood is stronger: its tensile strength is 99 MPa against 23 MPa for Rubber (4.3x).

Which conducts heat better, Rubber or Wood?

Wood conducts heat better: 0.18 W/m·K against 0.151 W/m·K for Rubber.

Among 59 materials

1k10k0.1110100Density (kg/m³)Young's modulus (GPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless 304Stainless 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless 303Stainless 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Nickel Inconel 718Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelDMLS 17-4PH Stainless Steel
Stiffness against density
1k10k101001kDensity (kg/m³)Yield strength (MPa)Plastic PLAPlastic PETGPlastic ABSPlastic TPUPlastic NylonAluminumSteelIronTitaniumSteel AISI 1018Stainless 304Stainless 316Aluminum 6061-T6Aluminum 7075-T6Brass C360Copper C110GlassSteel AISI 1045Steel AISI 4340Steel A992Stainless 303Stainless 17-4PHAluminum 2024-T351Aluminum 5052-H32Aluminum 7050-T7451Titanium Ti-6Al-4VBrass C260Nickel Inconel 718Magnesium AZ31B-H24Zinc Zamak 3Plastic ABS (bulk/injection)Plastic PolycarbonatePlastic POM/AcetalPlastic Nylon PA6Plastic Nylon PA66Plastic PEEKPlastic PTFEPlastic UHMWPEPlastic HDPEPlastic PolypropylenePlastic PMMAFDM ASAFDM PolycarbonateFDM PAHT-CFFDM HIPSSLA Resin Tough 2000SLA Resin Elastic 50ASLS PA12 NylonDMLS AlSi10Mg AluminumDMLS Ti-6Al-4V ELI TitaniumDMLS 316L Stainless SteelDMLS 17-4PH Stainless SteelBrickRubber
Strength against density

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