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2017A Aluminum vs. ASTM A572 Steel

2017A aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A572 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 2017A aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A572 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 71
190
Elongation at Break, % 2.2 to 14
18 to 25
Fatigue Strength, MPa 92 to 130
240 to 340
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 27
73
Shear Strength, MPa 120 to 270
300 to 380
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 200 to 460
470 to 620
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 110 to 290
330 to 510

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 390
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 220
400
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 650
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 510
1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 880
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 150
51
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 34
7.2
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 100
8.2 to 8.3

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 11
2.0
Density, g/cm3 3.0
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.2
1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
22
Embodied Water, L/kg 1140
47

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 6.7 to 53
100 to 110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 90 to 570
290 to 690
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 46
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 19 to 42
17 to 22
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 26 to 44
17 to 21
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 56
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 8.9 to 20
14 to 18