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EN-MC21120 Magnesium vs. 2018 Aluminum

EN-MC21120 magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while 2018 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys.

For each property being compared, the top bar is EN-MC21120 magnesium and the bottom bar is 2018 aluminum.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 63 to 75
120
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 46
73
Elongation at Break, % 2.2 to 6.7
9.6
Fatigue Strength, MPa 84 to 96
120
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.33
Shear Modulus, GPa 18
27
Shear Strength, MPa 110 to 160
270
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 200 to 270
420
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 130 to 170
310

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 350
390
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 130
220
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 600
640
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 490
510
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 990
870
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 76
150
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 26
22

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 11
40
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 59
120

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 12
11
Density, g/cm3 1.7
3.1
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 22
8.1
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 160
150
Embodied Water, L/kg 990
1130

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 5.0 to 15
37
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 180 to 320
670
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 15
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 69
45
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 31 to 43
38
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 43 to 53
41
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 44
57
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 11 to 16
19

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al), % 8.3 to 9.7
89.7 to 94.4
Chromium (Cr), % 0
0 to 0.1
Copper (Cu), % 0 to 0.030
3.5 to 4.5
Iron (Fe), % 0 to 0.0050
0 to 1.0
Magnesium (Mg), % 88.6 to 91.3
0.45 to 0.9
Manganese (Mn), % 0.1 to 0.5
0 to 0.2
Nickel (Ni), % 0 to 0.0020
1.7 to 2.3
Silicon (Si), % 0 to 0.2
0 to 0.9
Zinc (Zn), % 0.35 to 1.0
0 to 0.25
Residuals, % 0
0 to 0.15