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ASTM A588 Steel vs. EN-MC21210 Magnesium

ASTM A588 steel belongs to the iron alloys classification, while EN-MC21210 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 A588 steel and the bottom bar is EN-MC21210 magnesium.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 170
48
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 190
44
Elongation at Break, % 22
14
Fatigue Strength, MPa 270
70
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 73
17
Shear Strength, MPa 350
110
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 550
190
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 390
90

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 250 to 260
350
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 410
100
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 1460
600
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 1410 to 1420
570
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 470
1000
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 43 to 44
120
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 13
27

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 7.4
24
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 8.5
130

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 2.3 to 2.5
12
Density, g/cm3 7.8
1.6
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 1.5 to 1.6
24
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 20 to 22
160
Embodied Water, L/kg 50 to 51
980

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 110
22
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 400
92
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
15
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 24
72
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 20
32
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 19
44
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 12
76
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 16
11