Related Resources: materials
Coefficients Linear Thermal Expansion
Engineering Materials | Heat Transfer
Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion - Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a change in temperature, through heat transfer.
When a substance is heated, its particles begin moving more and thus usually maintain a greater average separation. Materials which contract with increasing temperature are unusual; this effect is limited in size, and only occurs within limited temperature ranges (see examples below). The degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature is called the material's coefficient of thermal expansion and generally varies with temperature.
|
Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion
|
Thermal Expansion
(microinch/(in °F)) |
|
Acetal
|
59.2
|
|
Acrylic, extruded
|
130.0
|
|
Acrylic, sheet, cast
|
45.0
|
|
Alumina
|
3.0
|
|
Aluminum
|
13.1
|
|
Antimony
|
5.0
|
|
Arsenic
|
2.6
|
|
Barium
|
11.4
|
|
Beryllium
|
6.7
|
|
Beryllium Copper
|
9.3
|
|
Bismuth
|
7.2
|
|
Brass
|
10.4
|
|
Brass, Admiralty
|
11.2
|
|
Brass, Yellow
|
11.3
|
|
Bronze
|
10.0
|
|
Bronze, Aluminum
|
9.0
|
|
Cadmium
|
16.8
|
|
Calcium
|
12.4
|
|
Carbon - diamond
|
0.67
|
|
Cellulose acetate (CA)
|
72.2
|
|
Cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB)
|
14.0
|
|
Cellulose nitrate (CN)
|
55.6
|
|
Cement
|
6.0
|
|
Cerium
|
2.9
|
|
Chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC)
|
37.0
|
|
Chromium
|
3.3
|
|
Clay tile structure
|
3.3
|
|
Cobalt
|
6.7
|
|
Concrete
|
8.0
|
|
Concrete structure
|
5.5
|
|
Constantan
|
10.4
|
|
Copper
|
9.8
|
|
Copper, Beryllium 25
|
9.9
|
|
Corundum, sintered
|
3.6
|
|
Diamond
|
0.6
|
|
Dysprosium
|
5.5
|
|
Ebonite
|
42.8
|
|
Epoxy, castings resins & compounds, unfilled
|
31
|
|
Erbium
|
6.8
|
|
Ethylene ethyl acrylate (EEA)
|
113.9
|
|
Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)
|
100
|
|
Europium
|
19.4
|
|
Fluoroethylene propylene (FEP)
|
75.0
|
|
Gadolinium
|
5.0
|
|
Germanium
|
3.4
|
|
Glass, hard
|
3.3
|
|
Glass, plate
|
5.0
|
|
Glass, Pyrex
|
2.2
|
|
Gold
|
7.9
|
|
Granite
|
4.4
|
|
Graphite
|
4.4
|
|
Hafnium
|
3.3
|
|
Hard alloy K20
|
3.3
|
|
Hastelloy C
|
5.3
|
|
Holmium
|
6.2
|
|
Ice
|
28.3
|
|
Incoloy
|
8.0
|
|
Inconel
|
6.4
|
|
Indium
|
18.3
|
|
Invar
|
0.8
|
|
Iridium
|
3.3
|
|
Iron
|
6.8
|
|
Iron, cast
|
5.9
|
|
Iron, forged
|
6.3
|
|
Lanthanum
|
6.7
|
|
Lead
|
15.1
|
|
Limestone
|
4.4
|
|
Lithium
|
25.6
|
|
Lutetium
|
5.5
|
|
Magnesium
|
14.0
|
|
Manganese
|
12.0
|
|
Manganese Bronze
|
11.8
|
|
Marble
|
3.1 - 7.9
|
|
Masonry
|
2.6 - 5.0
|
|
Mica
|
1.7
|
|
Molybdenum
|
3.0
|
|
Monel
|
7.8
|
|
Mortar
|
4.1-7.5
|
|
Neodymium
|
5.3
|
|
Nickel
|
7.2
|
|
Nickel Wrought
|
7.4
|
|
Niobium (Columbium)
|
3.9
|
|
Nylon, general purpose
|
40
|
|
Nylon, Type 11
|
55.6
|
|
Nylon, Type 12
|
44.7
|
|
Nylon, Type 6, cast
|
47.2
|
|
Nylon, Type 6/6
|
44.4
|
|
Osmium
|
2.8
|
|
Palladium
|
6.6
|
|
Phenolic resin without fillers
|
44.4
|
|
Plaster
|
9.2
|
|
Platinum
|
5.0
|
|
Plutonium
|
19.84
|
|
Polyallomer
|
50.8
|
|
Polyamide (PA)
|
61.1
|
|
Polycarbonate - glass fiber-reinforced
|
12.0
|
|
Polycarbonate (PC)
|
39.0
|
|
Polyester
|
69.0
|
|
Polyester - glass fiber-reinforced
|
14.0
|
|
Polyethylene (PE)
|
111.0
|
|
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
|
33.0
|
|
Polyphenylene - glass fiber-reinforced
|
20.0
|
|
Polypropylene - glass fiber-reinforced
|
18.0
|
|
Polypropylene (PP), unfilled
|
50.3
|
|
Polystyrene (PS)
|
38.9
|
|
Polysulfone (PSO)
|
31.0
|
|
Polyurethane (PUR), rigid
|
32
|
|
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
|
28
|
|
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
|
71
|
|
Porcelain
|
2
|
|
Potassium
|
46
|
|
Praseodymium
|
3.7
|
|
Promethium
|
6.1
|
|
Quartz
|
0.43 - 0.79
|
|
Red Brass
|
10.4
|
|
Rhenium
|
3.7
|
|
Rhodium
|
4.4
|
|
Rubber, hard
|
42.8
|
|
Ruthenium
|
5.1
|
|
Samarium
|
7.1
|
|
Sandstone
|
6.5
|
|
Scandium
|
5.7
|
|
Selenium
|
2.1
|
|
Silicon
|
2.8
|
|
Silver
|
11
|
|
Slate
|
5.8
|
|
Sodium
|
39
|
|
Solder 50 - 50
|
13.4
|
|
Steatite
|
4.7
|
|
Steel
|
7.3
|
|
Steel Stainless Austenitic (304)
|
9.6
|
|
Steel Stainless Austenitic (310)
|
8.0
|
|
Steel Stainless Austenitic (316)
|
8.9
|
|
Steel Stainless Ferritic (410)
|
5.5
|
|
Strontium
|
12.5
|
|
Tantalum
|
3.6
|
|
Tellurium
|
20.5
|
|
Terbium
|
5.7
|
|
Terne
|
6.5
|
|
Thallium
|
16.6
|
|
Thorium
|
6.7
|
|
Thulium
|
7.4
|
|
Tin
|
12.8
|
|
Titanium
|
4.8
|
|
Tungsten
|
2.5
|
|
Uranium
|
7.4
|
|
Vanadium
|
4.4
|
|
Vinyl Ester
|
8.7 - 12
|
|
Wood, fir
|
2.1
|
|
Wood, oak
|
3.0
|
|
Wood, pine
|
2.8
|
|
Ytterbium
|
14.6
|
|
Yttrium
|
5.9
|
|
Zinc
|
19.0
|
|
Zirconium
|
3.2
|
| Material |
Linear
coefficient α at 20 °C (10−6 K−1) |
Volumetric
coefficient αV at 20 °C (10−6 K−1) |
| Aluminium |
23.1
|
69
|
| Aluminium nitride |
5.3
|
4.2
|
| Benzocyclobutene |
42
|
126
|
| Brass |
19
|
57
|
| Carbon steel |
10.8
|
32.4
|
| Concrete |
12
|
36
|
| Copper |
17
|
51
|
| Diamond |
1
|
3
|
| Ethanol |
250
|
750
|
| Gallium(III) arsenide |
5.8
|
17.4
|
| Gasoline |
317
|
950
|
| Glass |
8.5
|
25.5
|
| Gold |
14
|
42
|
| Indium phosphide |
4.6
|
13.8
|
| Invar |
1.2
|
3.6
|
| Iron |
11.8
|
33.3
|
| Kapton |
20
|
60
|
| Lead |
29
|
87
|
| Macor |
9.3
|
|
| Magnesium |
26
|
78
|
| Mercury |
61
|
182
|
| Molybdenum |
4.8
|
14.4
|
| Nickel |
13
|
39
|
| Oak |
54
|
|
| Douglas-fir |
45
|
75
|
| Platinum |
9
|
27
|
| PVC |
52
|
156
|
| Quartz |
0.33
|
1
|
| Sapphire |
5.3
|
|
| Silicon Carbide |
2.77
|
8.31
|
| Silicon |
3
|
9
|
| Silver |
18
|
54
|
| Stainless steel |
17.3
|
51.9
|
| Steel |
11.0 ~ 13.0
|
33.0 ~ 39.0
|
| Titanium |
8.6
|
|
| Tungsten |
4.5
|
13.5
|
| Water |
69
|
207
|
| Zerodur |
≈0.02
|
|
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