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ASTM A204 Steel vs. EN-MC21120 Magnesium

ASTM A204 steel belongs to the iron alloys classification, while EN-MC21120 magnesium belongs to the magnesium 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 ASTM A204 steel and the bottom bar is EN-MC21120 magnesium.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 160 to 180
63 to 75
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 190
46
Elongation at Break, % 18 to 22
2.2 to 6.7
Fatigue Strength, MPa 200 to 220
84 to 96
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 73
18
Shear Strength, MPa 330 to 360
110 to 160
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 520 to 590
200 to 270
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 290 to 330
130 to 170

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 250
350
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 410
130
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 1470
600
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 1420 to 1430
490
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 470
990
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 52
76
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 13
26

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 7.2
11
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 8.2
59

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 2.4
12
Density, g/cm3 7.9
1.7
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 1.5
22
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 20
160
Embodied Water, L/kg 47
990

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 90 to 95
5.0 to 15
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 220 to 290
180 to 320
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
15
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 24
69
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 18 to 21
31 to 43
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 18 to 20
43 to 53
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 14
44
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 15 to 17
11 to 16