Commercially Pure Zirconium vs. SAE-AISI T1 Steel

Commercially pure zirconium belongs to the otherwise unclassified metals classification, while SAE-AISI T1 steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 16 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 commercially pure zirconium and the bottom bar is SAE-AISI T1 steel.

Commercially Pure (Unalloyed, R60702) Zirconium SAE-AISI T1 (T12001) Tungsten High-Speed Steel

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		98
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		200

Poisson's Ratio		0.34
Poisson's Ratio		0.29

Shear Modulus, GPa		36
Shear Modulus, GPa		80

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		430
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		770 to 2130

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		250
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		240

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		270
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		410

Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K		22
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K		20

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		5.5
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		12

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm³		6.7
Density, g/cm³		9.3

Embodied Water, L/kg		450
Embodied Water, L/kg		90

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		8.1
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		12

Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		23
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		21

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		18
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		23 to 64

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		19
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		20 to 40

Thermal Diffusivity, mm²/s		12
Thermal Diffusivity, mm²/s		5.2

Thermal Shock Resistance, points		56
Thermal Shock Resistance, points		23 to 64

Alloy Composition

Carbon (C), %		0 to 0.050
Carbon (C), %		0.65 to 0.8

Chromium (Cr), %		0 to 0.2
Chromium (Cr), %		3.8 to 4.5

Copper (Cu), %		0
Copper (Cu), %		0 to 0.25

Hafnium (Hf), %		0 to 4.5
Hafnium (Hf), %		0

Hydrogen (H), %		0 to 0.0050
Hydrogen (H), %		0

Iron (Fe), %		0 to 0.2
Iron (Fe), %		73.2 to 77.2

Manganese (Mn), %		0
Manganese (Mn), %		0.1 to 0.4

Nickel (Ni), %		0
Nickel (Ni), %		0 to 0.3

Nitrogen (N), %		0 to 0.025
Nitrogen (N), %		0

Oxygen (O), %		0 to 0.16
Oxygen (O), %		0

Phosphorus (P), %		0
Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.030

Silicon (Si), %		0
Silicon (Si), %		0.2 to 0.4

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

Tungsten (W), %		0
Tungsten (W), %		17.3 to 18.8

Vanadium (V), %		0
Vanadium (V), %		0.9 to 1.3

Zirconium (Zr), %		94.7 to 100
Zirconium (Zr), %		0