ASTM A228 Music Wire vs. AWS E33-31

Both ASTM A228 music wire and AWS E33-31 are iron alloys. They have a modest 30% of their average alloy composition in common, which, by itself, doesn't mean much. There are 20 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (11, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is ASTM A228 music wire and the bottom bar is AWS E33-31.

ASTM A228 (SWP-A, K08500) Music Wire AWS E33-31 (W33310) Weld Metal

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		190
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		210

Elongation at Break, %		12
Elongation at Break, %		29

Poisson's Ratio		0.29
Poisson's Ratio		0.27

Shear Modulus, GPa		72
Shear Modulus, GPa		81

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		2450
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		810

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		250
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		320

Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		1450
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		1380

Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		1410
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		1330

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		470
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		480

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		12
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		14

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative		1.8
Base Metal Price, % relative		36

Density, g/cm³		7.8
Density, g/cm³		7.9

Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		1.4
Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		6.0

Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		19
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		86

Embodied Water, L/kg		45
Embodied Water, L/kg		260

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		13
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		14

Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		24
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		25

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		87
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		28

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		52
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		24

Thermal Shock Resistance, points		79
Thermal Shock Resistance, points		19

Alloy Composition

Carbon (C), %		0.7 to 1.0
Carbon (C), %		0 to 0.030

Chromium (Cr), %		0
Chromium (Cr), %		31 to 35

Copper (Cu), %		0
Copper (Cu), %		0.4 to 0.8

Iron (Fe), %		98 to 99
Iron (Fe), %		24.7 to 34.8

Manganese (Mn), %		0.2 to 0.6
Manganese (Mn), %		2.5 to 4.0

Molybdenum (Mo), %		0
Molybdenum (Mo), %		1.0 to 2.0

Nickel (Ni), %		0
Nickel (Ni), %		30 to 32

Nitrogen (N), %		0
Nitrogen (N), %		0.3 to 0.5

Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.025
Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.020

Silicon (Si), %		0.1 to 0.3
Silicon (Si), %		0 to 0.9

Sulfur (S), %		0 to 0.030
Sulfur (S), %		0 to 0.010