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6463 Aluminum vs. ASTM A285 Carbon Steel

6463 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A285 carbon 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 6463 aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A285 carbon steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 42 to 74
110 to 130
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 68
190
Elongation at Break, % 9.0 to 17
30 to 34
Fatigue Strength, MPa 45 to 76
150 to 180
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
73
Shear Strength, MPa 86 to 150
250 to 290
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 140 to 230
380 to 450
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 82 to 200
190 to 230

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 160
400
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 660
1470
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 620
1420 to 1430
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 190 to 210
53
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
12

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 50 to 55
7.0
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 170 to 180
8.0

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 9.5
1.8
Density, g/cm3 2.7
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.3
1.4
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
18
Embodied Water, L/kg 1190
46

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 17 to 25
110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 50 to 300
94 to 150
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 14 to 24
13 to 16
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 22 to 31
15 to 17
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 79 to 86
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 6.3 to 10
12 to 14