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7178 Aluminum vs. ASTM A209 Steel

7178 aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys classification, while ASTM A209 steel belongs to the iron 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. 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 7178 aluminum and the bottom bar is ASTM A209 steel.

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa 71
190
Elongation at Break, % 4.5 to 12
34
Fatigue Strength, MPa 120 to 210
180 to 200
Poisson's Ratio 0.32
0.29
Shear Modulus, GPa 27
73
Shear Strength, MPa 140 to 380
280 to 310
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa 240 to 640
420 to 460
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa 120 to 560
220 to 250

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g 370
250
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C 180
410
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C 630
1470
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C 480
1420 to 1430
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K 860
470
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K 130
50
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K 23
13

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS 31
7.1
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS 91
8.1 to 8.2

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative 10
2.4
Density, g/cm3 3.1
7.9
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material 8.2
1.5
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg 150
20
Embodied Water, L/kg 1110
47

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 24 to 52
120 to 130
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 110 to 2220
130 to 170
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points 13
13
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points 45
24
Strength to Weight: Axial, points 21 to 58
15 to 16
Strength to Weight: Bending, points 28 to 54
16 to 17
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s 47
13
Thermal Shock Resistance, points 10 to 28
12 to 14