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5049 Aluminum vs. ASTM A588 Steel

5049 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A588 steel belongs to the iron alloys. 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 5049 aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A588 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Brinell Hardness 52 to 88
170
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 69
190
Elongation at Break, % 2.0 to 18
22
Fatigue Strength, MPa 79 to 130
270
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
73
Shear Strength, MPa 130 to 190
350
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 210 to 330
550
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 91 to 280
390

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
250 to 260
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 190
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 650
1460
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 620
1410 to 1420
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 140
43 to 44
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 24
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 35
7.4
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 110
8.5

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 9.5
2.3 to 2.5
Density, g/cm3 2.7
7.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.5
1.5 to 1.6
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
20 to 22
Embodied Water, L/kg 1180
50 to 51

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 6.0 to 31
110
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 59 to 570
400
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 22 to 34
20
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 29 to 39
19
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 56
12
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 9.3 to 15
16