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1050A Aluminum vs. ASTM A588 Steel

1050A aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A588 steel belongs to the iron alloys. Please note that the two materials have significantly dissimilar densities. This means that additional care is required when interpreting the data, because some material properties are based on units of mass, while others are based on units of area or volume.

For each property being compared, the top bar is 1050A aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A588 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 20 to 45
170
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 68
190
Elongation at Break, % 1.1 to 33
22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 22 to 55
270
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
73
Shear Strength, MPa 44 to 97
350
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 68 to 170
550
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 22 to 150
390

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
250 to 260
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 170
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 660
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 650
1410 to 1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 230
43 to 44
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 24
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 59
7.4
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 200
8.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 9.0
2.3 to 2.5
Density, g/cm3 2.7
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.2
1.5 to 1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
20 to 22
Embodied Water, L/kg 1200
50 to 51

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 1.9 to 19
110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 3.7 to 160
400
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 6.9 to 18
20
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 14 to 25
19
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 94
12
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 3.0 to 7.6
16