ISO-WD43150 Magnesium vs. ASTM A203 Steel
ISO-WD43150 magnesium belongs to the magnesium alloys classification, while ASTM A203 steel belongs to the iron alloys. There are 30 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (1, 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 ISO-WD43150 magnesium and the bottom bar is ASTM A203 steel.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa | 45 | |
190 |
Elongation at Break, % | 2.8 | |
22 to 26 |
Fatigue Strength, MPa | 100 | |
210 to 280 |
Poisson's Ratio | 0.29 | |
0.29 |
Shear Modulus, GPa | 18 | |
73 |
Shear Strength, MPa | 140 | |
330 to 370 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 250 | |
520 to 590 |
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa | 150 | |
290 to 390 |
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g | 350 | |
250 |
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 95 | |
410 |
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C | 610 | |
1460 |
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 590 | |
1420 |
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K | 990 | |
470 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 140 | |
52 |
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 27 | |
13 |
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume, % IACS | 31 | |
7.4 to 7.6 |
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific), % IACS | 170 | |
8.5 to 8.7 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price, % relative | 12 | |
3.2 to 4.0 |
Density, g/cm3 | 1.7 | |
7.9 |
Embodied Carbon, kg CO2/kg material | 24 | |
1.6 to 1.7 |
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg | 160 | |
21 to 23 |
Embodied Water, L/kg | 970 | |
50 to 52 |
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m3 | 6.1 | |
110 to 120 |
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m3 | 250 | |
230 to 410 |
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points | 15 | |
13 |
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points | 71 | |
24 |
Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 41 | |
18 to 21 |
Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 52 | |
18 to 20 |
Thermal Diffusivity, mm2/s | 81 | |
14 |
Thermal Shock Resistance, points | 14 | |
15 to 17 |