Advanced Automotive Technology: Visions of a Super-Efficient Family Car

TABLE 3-2: Mechanical Properties of Some Alternative

Automotive Structural Materials

Density (gm/cc)

Low carbon steel 7.5

Aluminum sheet 2.7

Sheet molding

compound 1.6-2.6

E-glass compositea 2.1

S-glass compositea 2.0

Kevlar compositea 1.4

Carbon/graphite

compositea I 1.6-1.8

Tensile Strength

(ksi)

40-70

20-37

8-25

150

280

290

145-330

Elastic Modulus

(msi)

30

10-12

1.3-2.3

3-7

4-8

11

6-20

a Unidirectional composite.

SOURCE: Roy M. Cuenca, Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory,
briefing for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Transportation Technologies, Oct. 28,
1993.

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