Grade VDSiCr Spring Steel
Grade VDSiCr steel is an alloy steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the hardened (H) condition. It has a very low density among EN wrought alloy steels. In addition, it has a very low melting temperature and a very high tensile strength.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare grade VDSiCr steel to: EN wrought alloy steels (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
590
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
190 GPa 27 x 106 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.29
Reduction in Area
48 %
Shear Modulus
80 GPa 12 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
1950 MPa 280 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
270 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
410 °C 780 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1440 °C 2620 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1400 °C 2550 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
46 W/m-K 27 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
13 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
7.3 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
8.5 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
2.2 % relative
Density
7.7 g/cm3 480 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
1.5 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
20 MJ/kg 8.4 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
48 L/kg 5.8 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
70 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
45 points
Thermal Diffusivity
12 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
58 points
Alloy Composition
Among alloy steels, the composition of grade VDSiCr steel is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of silicon (Si). Silicon content is typically governed by metallurgical processing concerns, and not its effects on final material properties. However, it does have a modest strengthening effect.
| Fe | 96.6 to 97.8 | |
| Si | 1.2 to 1.6 | |
| Mn | 0.5 to 0.9 | |
| Cr | 0.5 to 0.8 | |
| C | 0.5 to 0.6 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.060 | |
| P | 0 to 0.025 | |
| S | 0 to 0.020 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10270-2: Steel wire for mechanical spring - Part 2: Oil hardened and tempered spring steel wire
ASM Specialty Handbook: Carbon and Alloy Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1996
Manufacture and Uses of Alloy Steels, Henry D. Hibbard, 2005
Steels: Processing, Structure, and Performance, 2nd ed., George Krauss, 2015