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6101 Aluminum vs. ZK40A Magnesium

6101 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ZK40A magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys. There are 21 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (9, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is 6101 aluminum and the bottom bar is ZK40A magnesium.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 68
45
Elongation at Break, % 10 to 25
4.2
Poisson's Ratio 0.33
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 26
17

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 400
340
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 160
120
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 650
600
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 620
540
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 900
970
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 220 to 230
110
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
26

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 57 to 60
27
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 190 to 200
130

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 1190
950

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 14
14
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 50
65
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 89 to 93
62

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al), % 97.6 to 99.4
0
Boron (B), % 0 to 0.060
0
Chromium (Cr), % 0 to 0.030
0
Copper (Cu), % 0 to 0.1
0
Iron (Fe), % 0 to 0.5
0
Magnesium (Mg), % 0.35 to 0.8
94.2 to 96.1
Manganese (Mn), % 0 to 0.030
0
Silicon (Si), % 0.3 to 0.7
0
Zinc (Zn), % 0 to 0.1
3.5 to 4.5
Zirconium (Zr), % 0
0.45 to 1.0
Residuals, % 0
0 to 0.3