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6061 Aluminum vs. ZK51A Magnesium

6061 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 6061 aluminum and the bottom bar is ZK51A magnesium.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 69
45
Elongation at Break, % 3.4 to 20
4.7
Fatigue Strength, MPa 58 to 110
62
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
18
Shear Strength, MPa 84 to 210
160
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 130 to 410
240
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 76 to 370
150

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
340
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 170
120
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 650
640
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 580
550
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
970
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 170
110
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 24
26

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 43
28
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 140
140

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 9.5
13
Density, g/cm3 2.7
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 3.8 to 81
10
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 42 to 1000
260
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
14
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
64
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 13 to 42
36
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 21 to 45
47
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 68
61
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 5.7 to 18
15

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al), % 95.9 to 98.6
0
Chromium (Cr), % 0.040 to 0.35
0
Copper (Cu), % 0.15 to 0.4
0 to 0.1
Iron (Fe), % 0 to 0.7
0
Magnesium (Mg), % 0.8 to 1.2
93.1 to 95.9
Manganese (Mn), % 0 to 0.15
0
Nickel (Ni), % 0
0 to 0.010
Silicon (Si), % 0.4 to 0.8
0
Titanium (Ti), % 0 to 0.15
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