Gear Face Width

[Orion.DeYoe]

I'm curious about the face width of gears in FRC. Especially as it relates to aluminum vs steel and diametral pitch.
Basically every 20dp gear in FRC is .5 inch face width. With that thickness there is certainly no reason to use steel gears.
However how much load can an aluminum gear stand at .5 inch face width? And how thin could they be made before becoming too weak for a relatively high load FRC application? Also, does there become a point where a steel gear with a very thin face width (so that the weight is comparable to a thicker aluminum gear) becomes as strong as a .5 inch thick aluminum one. At that point it would make sense to use steel as you're not sacrificing weight or strength but you're saving space.
On the same note, what if one were to use 32dp gears (or other comparable small tooth size) with a thicker face width instead? You would save a lot more weight and space than you would by making 20dp gears thinner.