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EN-MC95310 Magnesium vs. ASTM A588 Steel

EN-MC95310 magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A588 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-MC95310 magnesium and the bottom bar is ASTM A588 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 85
170
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 45
190
Elongation at Break, % 2.2
22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 110
270
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 17
73
Shear Strength, MPa 160
350
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
550
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 190
390

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 330
250 to 260
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 170
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 650
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 540
1410 to 1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 960
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 51
43 to 44
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 25
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 11
7.4
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 50
8.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 34
2.3 to 2.5
Density, g/cm3 1.9
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 29
1.5 to 1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 260
20 to 22
Embodied Water, L/kg 900
50 to 51

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 5.6
110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 420
400
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 61
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 40
20
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 49
19
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 28
12
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 18
16