EN 1.5023 (38Si7) Silicon Steel
EN 1.5023 steel is an alloy steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 1.5023 is the EN numeric designation for this material. 38Si7 is the EN chemical designation.
It has a very low density among EN wrought alloy steels. In addition, it has a moderately low embodied energy and a very low base cost.
The properties of EN 1.5023 steel include six common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare EN 1.5023 steel to: EN wrought alloy steels (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness
170 to 440
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
190 GPa 27 x 106 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.29
Shear Modulus
72 GPa 10 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
570 to 1860 MPa 83 to 270 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
270 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
400 °C 750 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1440 °C 2620 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1400 °C 2550 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
48 W/m-K 28 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
13 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
7.3 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
8.4 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
1.9 % relative
Density
7.7 g/cm3 480 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
1.4 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
19 MJ/kg 8.3 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
45 L/kg 5.4 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
21 to 67 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
20 to 43 points
Thermal Diffusivity
13 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
17 to 56 points
Alloy Composition
Among alloy steels, the composition of EN 1.5023 steel is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of silicon (Si). Silicon content is typically governed by metallurgical processing concerns, and not its effects on final material properties. However, it does have a modest strengthening effect.
| Fe | 96.9 to 97.7 | |
| Si | 1.5 to 1.8 | |
| Mn | 0.5 to 0.8 | |
| C | 0.35 to 0.42 | |
| P | 0 to 0.025 | |
| S | 0 to 0.025 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10089: Hot rolled steels for quenched and tempered springs - Technical delivery conditions
Manufacture and Uses of Alloy Steels, Henry D. Hibbard, 2005
Ferrous Materials: Steel and Cast Iron, Hans Berns and Werner Theisen, 2008
Steels: Processing, Structure, and Performance, 2nd ed., George Krauss, 2015