Thermal conductivity against densityHigher and further left: spreads more heat for its weightThermal expansion against thermal conductivityLower and further right: warps less when heated
Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser
Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282), Chapter 5: Mechanical Properties of WoodUSDA Forest Products LaboratoryWood · Ultimate tensile strength: modulus of rupture (no direct tensile value)Wood · Compressive strength: compression parallel to grain (maximum crushing strength), 12% MCWood · Flexural strength: modulus of rupture (static bending), 12% MCWood · Young's modulus (stiffness): bending MOE, parallel to grainWood · Poisson's ratio: mu_LR (red oak group, ~12% MC)
3
Technical Note 218: Weights of Various Woods Grown in the United States (1953)USDA Forest Products LaboratoryWood · Density: average weight of clear wood at 8% and 15% moisture content
4
Engineering Polymers Part and Mold Design: Thermoplastics, A Design GuideCovestroPlastic Nylon PA6 · Poisson's ratio: base material: unfilled polyamide (PA), conditioned, maker design-guide family value (Covestro Table 3-1)
5
Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282), Chapter 4: Moisture Relations and Physical Properties of WoodUSDA Forest Products LaboratoryWood · Thermal conductivity: across grain, 12% MC (Table 4-7, approximate)Wood · Thermal expansion: parallel to grain, ovendry wood, range across speciesWood · Specific heat: solid wood (all species), 12% MC, 27 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
Is Plastic Nylon PA6 stronger than Wood?
Wood is stronger: its tensile strength is 99 MPa against yield strength 90 MPa for Plastic Nylon PA6 (10%).
Which is lighter, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Wood?
Wood is lighter: 692 kg/m³ against 1,130 kg/m³ for Plastic Nylon PA6.
Which is stiffer, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Wood?
Wood is stiffer: Young's modulus 12.5 GPa against 3.5 GPa for Plastic Nylon PA6, so the same part in Wood deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Wood?
For the same stiffness or strength: Wood is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
Part that must be
Plastic Nylon PA6
Wood
Stiff rod or tie (tension)
5.84x heavier
lighter
Stiff beam (bending)
3.09x heavier
lighter
Stiff panel or plate
2.5x heavier
lighter
Strong rod or tie
1.8x heavier
lighter
Strong beam
1.74x heavier
lighter
Strong panel or plate
1.71x heavier
lighter
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, Plastic Nylon PA6 or Wood?
Plastic Nylon PA6 conducts heat better: 0.33 W/m·K against 0.18 W/m·K for Wood.
Which expands less with temperature?
Wood expands less: 3.8 µm/m·K against 102 µm/m·K for Plastic Nylon PA6.