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ASTM A588 Grade K HSLA Steel

ASTM A588 grade K is a type of ASTM A588 steel. Cited properties are appropriate for the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare ASTM A588 grade K to: wrought alloy steels in the same category (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness

170

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

190 GPa 27 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

22 %

Fatigue Strength

270 MPa 40 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.29

Shear Modulus

73 GPa 11 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

350 MPa 51 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

550 MPa 80 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

390 MPa 56 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

250 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

410 °C 770 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

1460 °C 2660 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

1420 °C 2580 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

470 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

43 W/m-K 25 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

13 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

7.4 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

8.5 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

2.5 % relative

Density

7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

1.5 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

20 MJ/kg 8.5 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

50 L/kg 6.0 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

110 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

400 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

13 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

24 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

20 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

19 points

Thermal Diffusivity

12 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

16 points

Alloy Composition

Iron (Fe)Fe 96 to 98.6
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0.5 to 1.5
Chromium (Cr)Cr 0.4 to 0.7
Copper (Cu)Cu 0.3 to 0.5
Silicon (Si)Si 0.25 to 0.5
Nickel (Ni)Ni 0 to 0.4
Carbon (C)C 0 to 0.17
Molybdenum (Mo)Mo 0 to 0.1
Niobium (Nb)Nb 0.0050 to 0.050
Sulfur (S)S 0 to 0.050
Phosphorus (P)P 0 to 0.040

All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

ASTM A588: Standard Specification for High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel, up to 50 ksi [345 MPa] Minimum Yield Point, with Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance

ASTM A588: Standard Specification for High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel with 50 ksi (345 MPa) Minimum Yield Point to 4 in (100 mm) Thick

Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High Performance Alloys, ASM Handbook vol. 1, ASM International, 1993

Manufacture and Uses of Alloy Steels, Henry D. Hibbard, 2005

Ferrous Materials: Steel and Cast Iron, Hans Berns and Werner Theisen, 2008

Steels: Processing, Structure, and Performance, 2nd ed., George Krauss, 2015