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Quartzite vs Travertine

Natural Material · grade comparison

Quartzite and Travertine are both natural material grades. Quartzite is the stronger of the two: tensile strength 17 MPa (2.47 ksi) against 6 MPa (0.798 ksi) for Travertine, about 3.1 times as much. Travertine is lighter (2.45 g/cm³ vs 2.65 g/cm³ for Quartzite) and Quartzite is stiffer (75 GPa vs 42 GPa). On the shop floor, Travertine machines more easily (good vs not recommended) and Travertine sits in a lower cost tier (budget, $) than Quartzite (standard, $$).

QuartziteChoose it when strength drives the design, or when the part sees heat.

TravertineChoose it when weight is the constraint, or when the part is machined in volume.

Quartzite vs Travertine: properties

QuartziteTravertine

Mechanical

Strength, stiffness, ductility and hardness at room temperature.

Elastic (Young's) Modulus

75 GPa10.9 Msi
42 GPa6.1 Msi

Shear Modulus

29 GPa4.2 Msi
16 GPa2.3 Msi

Bulk Modulus

40 GPa5.8 Msi
28 GPa4.1 Msi

Poisson's Ratio

0.17
0.26

Tensile Strength (Ultimate)

17 MPa2.5 ksi
6 MPa0.8 ksi

Compressive Strength

250 MPa36.3 ksi
80 MPa11.6 ksi

Flexural Strength

28 MPa4.1 ksi
11 MPa1.6 ksi

Shear Strength

34 MPa4.9 ksi
13 MPa1.9 ksi

Fracture Toughness (K_IC)

1.1 MPa·√m1 ksi·√in
0.6 MPa·√m0.55 ksi·√in

Hardness, Knoop

770 HK
110 HK

Hardness, Mohs

7
3.5

Elongation at Break

—
0.1%

Physical

Density and transition temperatures.

Density

2.65 g/cm³0.1 lb/in³
2.45 g/cm³0.09 lb/in³

Melting Point (Solidus)

1,670°C3,038 °F
—

Porosity

0.4%
4%

Thermal

How each material carries heat and how hot it can run.

Thermal Conductivity

6 W/m·K3.5 BTU/hr·ft·°F
2 W/m·K1.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F

Specific Heat Capacity

780 J/kg·K0.19 BTU/lb·°F
880 J/kg·K0.21 BTU/lb·°F

Thermal Expansion (CTE, 20–100 °C)

11 µm/m·K6.1 µin/in·°F
6 µm/m·K3.3 µin/in·°F

Max Service Temperature (continuous)

400°C752 °F
120°C248 °F

Min Service Temperature

-60°C-76 °F
-40°C-40 °F

Electrical

Conductivity and insulation.

Electrical Resistivity

1,000,000 Ω·m3.94×10¹³ µΩ·in
1×10⁷ Ω·m3.94×10¹⁴ µΩ·in

Chemical & Environmental

Corrosion and environmental resistance (0–100 scores).

Corrosion Resistance

93 / 100
38 / 100

Manufacturability

FabDigit workshop ratings (0–100 scores) — how each material behaves on the machine.

Machinability

7 / 100
62 / 100

Polishability

88 / 100
78 / 100

Sustainability

Primary-production footprint per kilogram.

Embodied Energy (primary production)

3 MJ/kg1,290 BTU/lb
2 MJ/kg860 BTU/lb

Embodied Carbon (primary production)

0.22 kg CO₂/kg
0.13 kg CO₂/kg

Embodied Water

25 L/kg3 gal/lb
50 L/kg6 gal/lb

Same in both: Typical Recycled Content 0%

Common Calculations

Ratios derived from the values above.

Specific Strength (UTS / density)

6 kN·m/kg
2 kN·m/kg

Specific Stiffness (E / density)

28.3 MN·m/kg
17.1 MN·m/kg

Thermal Diffusivity

2.9 mm²/s
0.9 mm²/s

Same in both: Thermal Shock Resistance Index 0

Strength versus weight

Yield strength against density for every natural material grade in the FabDigit library; the compared grades are highlighted. Up and left is stronger for its weight.

Manufacturing and finishing

CapabilityQuartziteTravertine
Default condition——
Relative cost$$ Standard$ Budget
Min. machined wall——
Best machined surface——

Quartzite vs Travertine — frequently asked

Is Quartzite stronger than Travertine?

Yes. Quartzite has a typical tensile strength of 17 MPa (2.47 ksi) against 6 MPa (0.798 ksi) for Travertine — about 3.1 times as much.

Which is cheaper, Quartzite or Travertine?

Travertine is the lower-cost material: it sits in the budget tier ($) while Quartzite is standard ($$). Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.

Which is easier to machine, Quartzite or Travertine?

Travertine. Its machinability rates good (62/100) against not recommended (7/100) for Quartzite.

Ready to make it?

Upload a CAD file and FabDigit prices the part in Quartzite and Travertine side by side — material, machining time, tolerance and finish in one quote. Certified material data ships with the order on request.

Typical handbook values for the conditions named above, normalised for comparison. Hardness on non-Brinell scales is converted approximately for charting only. Request certified data with your order for design-critical properties.