Specific Heat Chart

Specific heat is the energy needed to raise one kilogram of a material by one degree. It governs how fast a part heats up or cools down. This chart compares common materials.

Material J/kg-K BTU/lb-F
Water (reference) 4186 1.00
Magnesium 1020 0.243
Aluminum 900 0.215
Titanium 520 0.124
Stainless steel 500 0.120
Carbon steel 490 0.117
Cast iron 460 0.110
Copper 385 0.092
Brass 380 0.091
Bronze 375 0.090
Nylon 1700 0.41
Acetal (Delrin) 1460 0.35
ABS 1300 0.31
Polycarbonate 1200 0.29
PTFE 1000 0.24
How much heat it holds. A high specific heat means a material absorbs a lot of energy per degree. Aluminum holds nearly twice the heat per kilogram of steel, which matters for heat sinks and cookware.

See the Thermal Conductivity Chart and the Material Density Chart.

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