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ASTM A242 HSLA Steel

ASTM A242 HSLA steel is an alloy steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. ASTM A242 is the defining standard for this material. Additionally, the UNS number is K11510.

It has a very low base cost among wrought alloy steels in the same category. In addition, it has a very low electrical conductivity and a fairly high thermal conductivity.

The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare ASTM A242 HSLA steel to: wrought alloy steels in the same category (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness

150

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

190 GPa 27 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

22 %

Fatigue Strength

230 MPa 34 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.29

Shear Modulus

73 GPa 11 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

310 MPa 45 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

490 MPa 71 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

330 MPa 48 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

250 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

400 °C 750 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

1460 °C 2670 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

1420 °C 2590 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

470 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

52 W/m-K 30 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

13 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

7.1 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

8.1 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

1.9 % relative

Density

7.9 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

1.4 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

18 MJ/kg 7.8 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

46 L/kg 5.5 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

95 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

290 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

13 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

24 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

17 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

17 points

Thermal Diffusivity

14 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

14 points

Alloy Composition

Among alloy steels, the composition of ASTM A242 HSLA steel is notable for including copper (Cu). Copper is used to improve corrosion resistance, and to add at least some degree of precipitation hardenability.

Iron (Fe)Fe 98.2 to 99.8
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 1.0
Copper (Cu)Cu 0.2 to 0.45
Carbon (C)C 0 to 0.15
Phosphorus (P)P 0 to 0.15
Sulfur (S)S 0 to 0.050

All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

ASTM A242: Standard Specification for High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel

Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High Performance Alloys, ASM Handbook vol. 1, ASM International, 1993

Manufacture and Uses of Alloy Steels, Henry D. Hibbard, 2005

Ferrous Materials: Steel and Cast Iron, Hans Berns and Werner Theisen, 2008

CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015

Steels: Processing, Structure, and Performance, 2nd ed., George Krauss, 2015