Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. Steel

Compare Ceramic Aluminum Nitride vs. Steel strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.

Ceramic Aluminum NitrideSintered ceramic (pressed and fired)

Mechanical	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	Steel
Yield strength	none (brittle)	385MPa1
Ultimate tensile strength	not sourced	505MPa1
Flexural strength	310MPa2	not sourced
Elongation at break	none (brittle)	24.2%1
Young's modulus (stiffness)	320GPa2	design value200GPa3
Density	3,400kg/m³22.31x lighter	7,850kg/m³4
Strength to weight	not sourced	49kN·m/kg
Stiffness to weight	94.1MN·m/kg3.69x higher	25.5MN·m/kg
Poisson's ratio	0.242	design value0.33
Shear modulus	129GPa1.68x stiffer in shear	76.9GPa
Bulk modulus	205GPa23% higher	167GPa
Speed of sound	9,701m/s1.92x faster	5,048m/s

Stiffness against densityHigher and further left: stiffer for its weight

Strength against densityHigher and further left: stronger for its weight

Thermal	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	Steel
Thermal conductivity	150W/m·K23.13x more heat through a fin	48W/m·K4
Thermal expansion	mean4.6µm/m·K22.61x less	12µm/m·K4
100 mm part over a 50 °C swing	23µm growth2.61x less	60µm growth
Specific heat	710J/kg·K2	base material460–480J/kg·K5
Heats up and cools (diffusivity)	62.1mm²/s4.78x faster	13mm²/s
Thermal shock resistance	not sourced	5,390W/m

Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weight

Thermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated

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Sources5 documents: American Institute of Steel Construction, KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe, bauforumstahl (ArcelorMittal), Ovako

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride: KYOCERA AN216A dense sintered aluminium nitride, typical values; KYOCERA Fineceramics Europe data sheet 2023.04.03
Steel: Generic structural steel, cited as ASTM A992 (the current US structural grade): ASTM A992 W-shapes; Fy/Fu specified minimums from AISC publications (AISC 360-16 Commentary; Modern Steel Construction); elastic constants AISC 360; physical constants from the bauforumstahl structural-steel EPD, which names A992 among covered product standards.

1
Updating Standard Shape Material Properties Database for Design and ReliabilityAmerican Institute of Steel Constructionarchived copySteel · Yield strength: typical: mean of 20,295 A992 flange mill-test coupons (1998 SSPC survey), as reported by AISCSteel · Ultimate tensile strength: typical: mean of 20,295 A992 flange mill-test coupons (1998 SSPC survey)Steel · Elongation at break: typical: mean of 24,847 A992 mill-test elongations, web and flange (1998 SSPC mill data), as reported by AISC
2
AN216A Aluminium Nitride Data Sheet (2023)KYOCERA Fineceramics Europearchived copyCeramic Aluminum Nitride · Flexural strength: 3-point bending strength (JIS R 1601)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Young's modulus (stiffness): typical (JIS R 1602)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Density: typical (JIS R 1634)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Poisson's ratio: typical (JIS R 1602)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Thermal conductivity: typical (JIS R 1611)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Thermal expansion: mean, 40-400 °C (JIS R 1618)Ceramic Aluminum Nitride · Specific heat: typical (JIS R 1611)
3
ANSI/AISC 360-16 Specification for Structural Steel Buildings, with CommentaryAmerican Institute of Steel Constructionarchived copySteel · Young's modulus (stiffness): design value (AISC 360-16)Steel · Poisson's ratio: design value (AISC 360-16 Commentary)
4
Environmental Product Declaration: Structural Steel Sections and Merchant Bars (2023)bauforumstahl (ArcelorMittal)archived copySteel · Density: nominal (constructional data)Steel · Thermal conductivity: nominal at 20 °CSteel · Thermal expansion: nominal (constructional data, no temperature range stated)
5
S275JR Steel GradeOvakoSteel · Specific heat: base material: EN S275JR unalloyed structural steel (the EN counterpart of A36), typical, 50/100 °C

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

Which is lighter, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter: 3,400 kg/m³ against 7,850 kg/m³ for Steel.

Which is stiffer, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is stiffer: Young's modulus 320 GPa against 200 GPa for Steel, so the same part in Ceramic Aluminum Nitride deflects less under the same load.

Which is lighter for the same job, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Steel?

For the same stiffness or strength: Ceramic Aluminum Nitride is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate.

Part that must be	Ceramic Aluminum Nitride	Steel
Stiff rod or tie (tension)	lighter	3.69x heavier
Stiff beam (bending)	lighter	2.92x heavier
Stiff panel or plate	lighter	2.7x 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, Ceramic Aluminum Nitride or Steel?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride conducts heat better: 150 W/m·K against 48 W/m·K for Steel.

Which expands less with temperature?

Ceramic Aluminum Nitride expands less: 4.6 µm/m·K against 12 µm/m·K for Steel.