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AM60A Magnesium vs. ASTM A572 Steel

AM60A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A572 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 AM60A magnesium and the bottom bar is ASTM A572 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 62
140 to 190
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 45
190
Elongation at Break, % 8.8
18 to 25
Fatigue Strength, MPa 70
240 to 340
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 18
73
Shear Strength, MPa 130
300 to 380
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 230
470 to 620
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 130
330 to 510

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 350
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 120
400
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 620
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 550
1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 1000
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 62
51
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 26
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 13
7.2
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 69
8.2 to 8.3

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 12
2.0
Density, g/cm3 1.7
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 23
1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 160
22
Embodied Water, L/kg 990
47

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 17
100 to 110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 190
290 to 690
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 15
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 71
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 37
17 to 22
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 49
17 to 21
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 37
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 14
14 to 18