8021 Aluminum vs. C23400 Brass

8021 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while C23400 brass belongs to the copper alloys. There are 22 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (9, 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 8021 aluminum and the bottom bar is C23400 brass.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		70
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		110

Poisson's Ratio		0.33
Poisson's Ratio		0.32

Shear Modulus, GPa		26
Shear Modulus, GPa		42

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		160
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		370 to 640

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		400
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		190

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C		170
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C		160

Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		650
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		970

Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		640
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		930

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		900
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		390

Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K		220
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K		120

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		23
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		19

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative		9.0
Base Metal Price, % relative		27

Density, g/cm³		2.8
Density, g/cm³		8.5

Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		8.1
Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		2.6

Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		150
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		43

Embodied Water, L/kg		1180
Embodied Water, L/kg		320

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		14
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		7.2

Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		49
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		19

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		16
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		12 to 21

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		23
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		13 to 19

Thermal Diffusivity, mm²/s		88
Thermal Diffusivity, mm²/s		36

Thermal Shock Resistance, points		7.0
Thermal Shock Resistance, points		12 to 22

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al), %		98 to 98.8
Aluminum (Al), %		0

Copper (Cu), %		0 to 0.050
Copper (Cu), %		81 to 84

Iron (Fe), %		1.2 to 1.7
Iron (Fe), %		0 to 0.050

Lead (Pb), %		0
Lead (Pb), %		0 to 0.050

Silicon (Si), %		0 to 0.15
Silicon (Si), %		0

Zinc (Zn), %		0
Zinc (Zn), %		15.7 to 19

Residuals, %		0
Residuals, %		0 to 0.2