AZ31C Magnesium vs. 2017A Aluminum
AZ31C magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while 2017A aluminum belongs to the aluminum alloys.
For each property being compared, the top bar is AZ31C magnesium and the bottom bar is 2017A aluminum.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
| Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 45 | |
| 71 |
| Elongation at Break, % | 12 | |
| 2.2 to 14 |
| Fatigue Strength, MPa | 150 | |
| 92 to 130 |
| Poisson's Ratio | 0.29 | |
| 0.33 |
| Shear Modulus, GPa | 17 | |
| 27 |
| Shear Strength, MPa | 130 | |
| 120 to 270 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 260 | |
| 200 to 460 |
| Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa | 200 | |
| 110 to 290 |
Thermal Properties
| Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g | 350 | |
| 390 |
| Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 110 | |
| 220 |
| Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C | 600 | |
| 650 |
| Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 550 | |
| 510 |
| Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 990 | |
| 880 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 130 | |
| 150 |
| Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 26 | |
| 23 |
Electrical Properties
| Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS | 19 | |
| 34 |
| Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS | 98 | |
| 100 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
| Base Metal Price, % relative | 12 | |
| 11 |
| Density, g/cm3 | 1.7 | |
| 3.0 |
| Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material | 23 | |
| 8.2 |
| Embodied Energy, MJ/kg | 160 | |
| 150 |
| Embodied Water, L/kg | 970 | |
| 1140 |
Common Calculations
| Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 | 28 | |
| 6.7 to 53 |
| Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 | 440 | |
| 90 to 570 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 15 | |
| 13 |
| Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 70 | |
| 46 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 42 | |
| 19 to 42 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 53 | |
| 26 to 44 |
| Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 74 | |
| 56 |
| Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 16 | |
| 8.9 to 20 |
Alloy Composition
| Aluminum (Al), % | 2.4 to 3.6 | |
| 91.3 to 95.5 |
| Chromium (Cr), % | 0 | |
| 0 to 0.1 |
| Copper (Cu), % | 0 to 0.1 | |
| 3.5 to 4.5 |
| Iron (Fe), % | 0 | |
| 0 to 0.7 |
| Magnesium (Mg), % | 93.4 to 97 | |
| 0.4 to 1.0 |
| Manganese (Mn), % | 0.15 to 1.0 | |
| 0.4 to 1.0 |
| Nickel (Ni), % | 0 to 0.030 | |
| 0 |
| Silicon (Si), % | 0 to 0.1 | |
| 0.2 to 0.8 |
| Titanium (Ti), % | 0 | |
| 0 to 0.25 |
| Zinc (Zn), % | 0.5 to 1.5 | |
| 0 to 0.25 |
| Zirconium (Zr), % | 0 | |
| 0 to 0.25 |
| Residuals, % | 0 | |
| 0 to 0.15 |