With 1 inch of either, which is a.) stronger, b.) lighter and c.) cheapest? Of Lexan (the bulletproof glass) or aluminum?
Aluminum alloy is much stronger. I didn't know about Lexan but a google search for lexan mechanical properties shows tensile strength of 9000 psi. You can easily get 6061-T6 aluminum at 42,000 psi tensile strength. It's probably the most common aluminum alloy, more common than pure aluminum. Probably more expensive than Lexan. Lexan is 40% lighter. Also of course you can see through Lexan. The actual working strength depends a little on what you are doing, because bending depends a lot on thickness. If you are stopping bullets, .4 inches of aluminum is probably not as good as 1 inch of Lexan.
Lexan is similar to polymethyl methacrylate (Plexiglas/Lucite/Perspex) and is commonly described as acrylic in appearance, but is far more durable, often to the point of being described as bulletproof (depending on the thickness of the sample and the type of weapon used). Aluminium is a soft, lightweight, malleable metal with appearance ranging from silvery to dull gray, depending on the surface roughness. Aluminium is nontoxic, nonmagnetic, and nonsparking. The yield strength of pure aluminium is 7–11 MPa, while aluminium alloys have yield strengths ranging from 200 MPa to 600 MPa. Aluminium has about one-third the density and stiffness of steel. It is ductile, and easily machined, cast, and extruded. In Chemical series, Aluminium is termed as poor metals therefore, Lexan is stronger than Aluminium in all aspects
It all depends on the composition of the two materials. Aluminum comes in many differene alloys which vary in strength. Pure aluminum is quite weak. The misture of another metal and aluminum will dictate the products strength.
