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SAE-AISI 4042 Steel vs. ASTM A36 Carbon Steel

Both SAE-AISI 4042 steel and ASTM A36 carbon steel are iron alloys. They have a very high 99% of their average alloy composition in common.

For each property being compared, the top bar is SAE-AISI 4042 steel and the bottom bar is ASTM A36 carbon steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 200
140
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 190
190
Elongation at Break, % 13
22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 360
200
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 73
73
Shear Strength, MPa 410
300
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 680
480
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 570
290

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 250
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 400
400
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 1460
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 1420
1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 470
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 49
50
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 12
11

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 7.1
12
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 8.2
14

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 2.1
1.8
Density, g/cm3 7.8
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 1.5
1.4
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 19
18
Embodied Water, L/kg 47
44

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 81
92
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 860
220
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 24
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 24
17
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 22
17
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 13
14
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 22
16

Alloy Composition

Carbon (C), % 0.4 to 0.45
0 to 0.26
Iron (Fe), % 97.9 to 98.6
99.25 to 100
Manganese (Mn), % 0.7 to 0.9
0
Molybdenum (Mo), % 0.2 to 0.3
0
Phosphorus (P), % 0 to 0.035
0 to 0.040
Silicon (Si), % 0.15 to 0.35
0 to 0.4
Sulfur (S), % 0 to 0.040
0 to 0.050