ASTM A356 Grade 6 vs. ASTM A387 Grade 2 Steel
Both ASTM A356 grade 6 and ASTM A387 grade 2 steel are iron alloys. Their average alloy composition is basically identical. There are 31 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 ASTM A356 grade 6 and the bottom bar is ASTM A387 grade 2 steel.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness | 170 | |
140 to 170 |
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 190 | |
190 |
Elongation at Break, % | 25 | |
25 |
Fatigue Strength, MPa | 250 | |
190 to 250 |
Poisson's Ratio | 0.29 | |
0.29 |
Shear Modulus, GPa | 73 | |
73 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 550 | |
470 to 550 |
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa | 350 | |
260 to 350 |
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g | 250 | |
250 |
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 430 | |
420 |
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C | 1460 | |
1470 |
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 1420 | |
1420 |
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 470 | |
470 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 41 | |
45 |
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 13 | |
13 |
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS | 7.4 | |
7.2 |
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS | 8.4 | |
8.3 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price, % relative | 2.9 | |
2.6 |
Density, g/cm3 | 7.8 | |
7.9 |
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material | 1.6 | |
1.6 |
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg | 21 | |
20 |
Embodied Water, L/kg | 53 | |
50 |
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance) | 3.1 | |
2.4 |
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 | 120 | |
98 to 120 |
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 | 320 | |
180 to 320 |
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 13 | |
13 |
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 24 | |
24 |
Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 20 | |
16 to 20 |
Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 19 | |
17 to 19 |
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 11 | |
12 |
Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 16 | |
14 to 16 |
Alloy Composition
Carbon (C), % | 0 to 0.2 | |
0.050 to 0.21 |
Chromium (Cr), % | 1.0 to 1.5 | |
0.5 to 0.8 |
Iron (Fe), % | 96.2 to 98.1 | |
97.1 to 98.3 |
Manganese (Mn), % | 0.5 to 0.8 | |
0.55 to 0.8 |
Molybdenum (Mo), % | 0.45 to 0.65 | |
0.45 to 0.6 |
Phosphorus (P), % | 0 to 0.035 | |
0 to 0.025 |
Silicon (Si), % | 0 to 0.6 | |
0.15 to 0.4 |
Sulfur (S), % | 0 to 0.030 | |
0 to 0.025 |