Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weightThermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated
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Technical Bulletin ATS-129: Properties of Soda-Lime Silica Float Glass (2025)Pilkington North Americaarchived copyGlass · Ultimate tensile strength: typical mean surface tensile stress at fracture (MOR), 60 s load, weathered, 50% breakage probabilityGlass · Flexural strength: mean MOR (same value as tensile)Glass · Young's modulus (stiffness): typicalGlass · Density: typicalGlass · Poisson's ratio: typicalGlass · Thermal conductivity: typical at 75 FGlass · Thermal expansion: typical, 75-575 FGlass · Specific heat: typical at 75 FGlass · Max service temperature: strain point (ASTM C336) - stress-relaxation onset, not a rated service limit
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Product Design for Die Casting, Table 4.1: Die Casting Alloys Material Properties ComparisonNorth American Die Casting Associationarchived copyAluminum A380 · Poisson's ratio: typical, as-cast, separately die cast specimens
Each number points to the document that states it, with the exact basis. Values without a number are computed from the sourced ones. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Mechanical
Is Aluminum A380 stronger than Glass?
Aluminum A380 is stronger: its yield strength is 160 MPa against tensile strength 41 MPa for Glass (3.9x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum A380 or Glass?
Glass is lighter: 2,500 kg/m³ against 2,713 kg/m³ for Aluminum A380.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum A380 or Glass?
Glass is stiffer: Young's modulus 72 GPa against 71 GPa for Aluminum A380, so the same part in Glass deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum A380 or Glass?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum A380 is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate; Glass is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate.
Part that must be
Aluminum A380
Glass
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
10% heavier
lighter
Stiff beam (bending)
9% heavier
lighter
Stiff panel or plate
9% heavier
lighter
Strong rod or tie
lighter
3.6x heavier
Strong beam
lighter
2.28x heavier
Strong panel or plate
lighter
1.82x heavier
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).
Thermal
Which conducts heat better, Aluminum A380 or Glass?
Aluminum A380 conducts heat better: 96.2 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 21.8 µm/m·K for Aluminum A380.