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AZ61A Magnesium vs. ASTM A209 Steel

AZ61A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A209 steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 30 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (3, 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 A209 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 45
190
Elongation at Break, % 11
34
Fatigue Strength, MPa 130
180 to 200
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 17
73
Shear Strength, MPa 150
280 to 310
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
420 to 460
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 170
220 to 250

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 350
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 120
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 600
1470
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 530
1420 to 1430
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 990
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 79
50
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 27
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 12
7.1
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 62
8.1 to 8.2

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 12
2.4
Density, g/cm3 1.7
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 23
1.5
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 160
20
Embodied Water, L/kg 980
47

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 27
120 to 130
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 310
130 to 170
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 15
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 69
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 46
15 to 16
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 56
16 to 17
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 47
13
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 17
12 to 14