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2011A Aluminum vs. ASTM A588 Steel

2011A aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A588 steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 30 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (1, in this case) are not shown. 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 2011A aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A588 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 70
190
Elongation at Break, % 6.8 to 16
22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 75 to 100
270
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
73
Shear Strength, MPa 190 to 250
350
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 310 to 410
550
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 140 to 310
390

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 390
250 to 260
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 190
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 660
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 550
1410 to 1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 870
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 130
43 to 44
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 33
7.4
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 96
8.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 11
2.3 to 2.5
Density, g/cm3 3.1
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 7.9
1.5 to 1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
20 to 22
Embodied Water, L/kg 1150
50 to 51

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 20 to 40
110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 140 to 670
400
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 44
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 28 to 37
20
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 33 to 40
19
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 49
12
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 14 to 18
16