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6061 Aluminum vs. MDF

6061 aluminum and MDF belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. 6061 aluminum is a metal, while MDF is a polymeric material. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 15 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (18, in this case) are not shown. Please note that the two materials have significantly dissimilar densities. This means that additional care is required when interpreting the data, because some material properties are based on units of mass, while others are based on units of area or volume.

For each property being compared, the top bar is 6061 aluminum and the bottom bar is MDF.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 69
4.0
Elongation at Break, % 3.4 to 20
0.5
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.25
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
2.5
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 130 to 410
18

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
1700
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 170
0.3
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 24
12

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm3 2.7
0.75

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
3.0
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
71
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 13 to 42
6.7
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 21 to 45
20
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 68
0.24
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 5.7 to 18
27