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ZE63A Magnesium vs. ASTM A588 Steel

ZE63A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A588 steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 31 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 ZE63A magnesium and the bottom bar is ASTM A588 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 73
170
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 46
190
Elongation at Break, % 7.7
22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 120
270
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 17
73
Shear Strength, MPa 170
350
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 300
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 510
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 390
1410 to 1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 950
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 110
43 to 44
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 27
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 31
7.4
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 140
8.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 22
2.3 to 2.5
Density, g/cm3 2.0
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 24
1.5 to 1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 180
20 to 22
Embodied Water, L/kg 920
50 to 51

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 20
110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 400
400
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 12
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 58
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 40
20
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 48
19
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 57
12
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 17
16