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5040 Aluminum vs. ZK51A Magnesium

5040 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ZK51A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys. There are 30 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (2, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is 5040 aluminum and the bottom bar is ZK51A magnesium.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 70
45
Elongation at Break, % 5.7 to 6.8
4.7
Fatigue Strength, MPa 100 to 130
62
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
18
Shear Strength, MPa 140 to 150
160
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 240 to 260
240
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 190 to 230
150

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
340
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 190
120
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 650
640
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 600
550
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
970
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 160
110
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
26

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 41
28
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 130
140

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 9.5
13
Density, g/cm3 2.8
1.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.3
24
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
160
Embodied Water, L/kg 1180
940

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 14 to 15
10
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 260 to 380
260
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
14
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
64
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 24 to 26
36
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 31 to 32
47
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 64
61
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 10 to 11
15

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al), % 95.2 to 98
0
Chromium (Cr), % 0.1 to 0.3
0
Copper (Cu), % 0 to 0.25
0 to 0.1
Iron (Fe), % 0 to 0.7
0
Magnesium (Mg), % 1.0 to 1.5
93.1 to 95.9
Manganese (Mn), % 0.9 to 1.4
0
Nickel (Ni), % 0
0 to 0.010
Silicon (Si), % 0 to 0.3
0
Zinc (Zn), % 0 to 0.25
3.6 to 5.5
Zirconium (Zr), % 0
0.5 to 1.0
Residuals, % 0
0 to 0.3