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ZK40A Magnesium vs. ACI-ASTM CD3MCuN Steel

ZK40A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ACI-ASTM CD3MCuN steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 29 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 ZK40A magnesium and the bottom bar is ACI-ASTM CD3MCuN steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 45
200
Elongation at Break, % 4.2
29
Fatigue Strength, MPa 190
370
Poisson's Ratio 0.29
0.27
Shear Modulus, GPa 17
80
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 280
790
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 260
500

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 340
300
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 120
1100
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 600
1440
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 540
1390
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 970
480
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 110
15
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 26
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 27
2.2
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 130
2.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 13
20
Density, g/cm3 1.8
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 24
3.9
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 160
54
Embodied Water, L/kg 950
180

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 12
200
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 740
620
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
15
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 65
25
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 43
28
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 53
24
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 62
4.1
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 17
22

Alloy Composition

Carbon (C), % 0
0 to 0.030
Chromium (Cr), % 0
24 to 26.7
Copper (Cu), % 0
1.4 to 1.9
Iron (Fe), % 0
58.2 to 65.9
Magnesium (Mg), % 94.2 to 96.1
0
Manganese (Mn), % 0
0 to 1.2
Molybdenum (Mo), % 0
2.9 to 3.8
Nickel (Ni), % 0
5.6 to 6.7
Nitrogen (N), % 0
0.22 to 0.33
Phosphorus (P), % 0
0 to 0.030
Silicon (Si), % 0
0 to 1.1
Sulfur (S), % 0
0 to 0.030
Zinc (Zn), % 3.5 to 4.5
0
Zirconium (Zr), % 0.45 to 1.0
0
Residuals, % 0 to 0.3
0