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AZ61A Magnesium vs. ASTM A203 Steel

AZ61A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A203 steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 30 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (2, 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 AZ61A magnesium and the bottom bar is ASTM A203 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 45
190
Elongation at Break, % 11
22 to 26
Fatigue Strength, MPa 130
210 to 280
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 17
73
Shear Strength, MPa 150
330 to 370
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
520 to 590
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 170
290 to 390

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 350
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 120
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 600
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 530
1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 990
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 79
52
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 27
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 12
7.4 to 7.6
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 62
8.5 to 8.7

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 12
3.2 to 4.0
Density, g/cm3 1.7
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 23
1.6 to 1.7
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 160
21 to 23
Embodied Water, L/kg 980
50 to 52

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 27
110 to 120
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 310
230 to 410
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 15
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 69
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 46
18 to 21
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 56
18 to 20
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 47
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 17
15 to 17