| Property | Aluminum Extrusions | Roll Formed Steel | Copper Extrusions (Deoxided; Low Phosphorus) |
| Strength (Tensile) | Very good mechanical properties | Very high mechanical properties | Average to low mechanical properties |
| Density | Lightweight; about 1/3 that of copper or steel | High density; high pounds per cubic foot | About three times heavier than aluminum |
| Strength to Weight Ratio | Very Good | Good | Low |
| Corrosion Resistance | Excellent; it can be further increased, along with enhanced appearance, through anodizing or other coatings | Poor; usually requires protective coatings for corrosion service | Excellent |
| Formability | Easily formable and extruded in a wide variety of complex shapes including multi-void hollows. Formable to net shapes, and extrusions provide for the placement of metal where it’s needed | Readily formable; thinner cross-sections than aluminum extrusions metal cannot always be located where best used in design | Excellent formability and easily extrudable. Formable to net shapes |
| Electrical Conductivity | Excellent; on a pound for pound basis, twice as efficient as copper, used in bus bar and electric connector applications | Poor cannot usually be used as an electrical conductor | Excellent electrical conductivity |
| Thermal Conductivity | Excellent; ideal for heat exchanger applications | Poor cannot usually be used as a heat exchanger | Excellent thermal conductivity, second only to silver in industrial applications |
| Finishing | A near limitless array of finishes can be applied including mechanical and chemical prefinishes, anodic coatings, paints and electroplated finishes | Protective coatings such as paint finishes are employed along w with electroplated finishes | A variety of coatings and platings can be employed |
| Recyclability | High scrap value; routinely reprocessed to generate new extrusions | Low scrap value | Very high scrap value |
| Tooling Economics | Extrusion tooling is relatively inexpensive. Generally, a simple shape will cost only a few hundred dollars. Short lead times for tooling construction | Typical tooling costs are thousands of dollars. Long lead times are required | Inexpensive tooling costs for extrusions |
| Energy Savings | Lightweight aluminum extrusions can offer energy savings for transportation vehicles | Lifetime energy requirements for wrought steel vehicle components are twice those for aluminum components | In transportation vehicles, copper is less energy-efficient than aluminum |
| Combustibility | Noncombustible; does not emit any toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures | Noncombustible; does not emit any toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures | Noncombustible; does not emit any toxic fumes when exposed to high temperatures |
