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EN-MC65120 Magnesium vs. ASTM A203 Steel

EN-MC65120 magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A203 steel belongs to the iron 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 EN-MC65120 magnesium and the bottom bar is ASTM A203 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 55
160 to 180
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 45
190
Elongation at Break, % 3.1
22 to 26
Fatigue Strength, MPa 80
210 to 280
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 17
73
Shear Strength, MPa 92
330 to 370
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 160
520 to 590
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 110
290 to 390

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 330
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 180
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 590
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 520
1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 970
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 100
52
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 26
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 25
7.4 to 7.6
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 120
8.5 to 8.7

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 25
3.2 to 4.0
Density, g/cm3 1.9
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 25
1.6 to 1.7
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 190
21 to 23
Embodied Water, L/kg 930
50 to 52

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 4.4
110 to 120
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 140
230 to 410
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 62
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 23
18 to 21
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 34
18 to 20
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 56
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 9.8
15 to 17