EN 1.7231 (G42CrMo4) Cast Steel
EN 1.7231 steel is an alloy steel formulated for casting. 1.7231 is the EN numeric designation for this material. G42CrMo4 is the EN chemical designation.
It has a moderately low embodied energy among cast alloy steels. In addition, it can have a very low ductility and has a moderately low electrical conductivity.
The properties of EN 1.7231 steel include two common variations. This page shows summary ranges across both of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare EN 1.7231 steel to: cast 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
240 to 280
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
190 GPa 27 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
11 to 12 %
Fatigue Strength
360 to 500 MPa 52 to 72 x 103 psi
Impact Strength: V-Notched Charpy
28 to 30 J 20 to 22 ft-lb
Poisson's Ratio
0.29
Shear Modulus
73 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
790 to 930 MPa 110 to 130 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
570 to 800 MPa 83 to 120 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
250 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
420 °C 790 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1460 °C 2660 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1420 °C 2580 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
470 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
46 W/m-K 27 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
2.5 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
1.5 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
20 MJ/kg 8.6 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
51 L/kg 6.1 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
87 to 100 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
870 to 1700 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
24 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
28 to 33 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
24 to 27 points
Thermal Diffusivity
12 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
23 to 27 points
Alloy Composition
Among cast alloy steels, the composition of EN 1.7231 steel is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn). Chromium is used to improve corrosion resistance and most mechanical properties (particularly at higher temperatures). Manganese is used to improve hardenability and surface quality.
| Fe | 96.4 to 98.1 | |
| Cr | 0.8 to 1.2 | |
| Mn | 0.6 to 1.0 | |
| C | 0.38 to 0.45 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.6 | |
| Mo | 0.15 to 0.3 | |
| S | 0 to 0.030 | |
| P | 0 to 0.025 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10293: Steel castings - Steel castings for general engineering uses
ASM Specialty Handbook: Carbon and Alloy Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1996
Manufacture and Uses of Alloy Steels, Henry D. Hibbard, 2005
Ferrous Materials: Steel and Cast Iron, Hans Berns and Werner Theisen, 2008
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015
Steels: Processing, Structure, and Performance, 2nd ed., George Krauss, 2015