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6261 Aluminum vs. ASTM A204 Steel

6261 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A204 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 6261 aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A204 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 69
190
Elongation at Break, % 9.0 to 16
18 to 22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 60 to 120
200 to 220
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
73
Shear Strength, MPa 90 to 180
330 to 360
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 150 to 300
520 to 590
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 100 to 260
290 to 330

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 160
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 640
1470
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 610
1420 to 1430
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 180
52
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 48
7.2
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 160
8.2

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 9.5
2.4
Density, g/cm3 2.7
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.3
1.5
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
20
Embodied Water, L/kg 1180
47

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 21 to 27
90 to 95
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 77 to 500
220 to 290
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 15 to 31
18 to 21
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 23 to 37
18 to 20
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 75
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 6.5 to 13
15 to 17