EN 1.7233 (42CrMo5-6) Chromium-Molybdenum Steel
EN 1.7233 steel is an alloy steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 1.7233 is the EN numeric designation for this material. 42CrMo5-6 is the EN chemical designation.
It has a fairly low thermal conductivity among EN wrought alloy steels. In addition, it has a moderately high base cost and can have a moderately high tensile strength.
The properties of EN 1.7233 steel include three 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 1.7233 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
210 to 290
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
190 GPa 27 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
18 to 23 %
Fatigue Strength
270 to 530 MPa 39 to 77 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.29
Shear Modulus
73 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
450 to 590 MPa 65 to 86 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
700 to 960 MPa 100 to 140 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
380 to 780 MPa 55 to 110 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
250 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
430 °C 810 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1460 °C 2660 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1420 °C 2590 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
470 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
39 W/m-K 22 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
13 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
7.4 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
8.5 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
3.0 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
1.6 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
21 MJ/kg 9.1 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
53 L/kg 6.3 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
3.3
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
110 to 200 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
380 to 1630 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
24 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
25 to 34 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
22 to 28 points
Thermal Diffusivity
11 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
21 to 28 points
Alloy Composition
Among alloy steels, the composition of EN 1.7233 steel is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of chromium (Cr). Chromium is used to improve corrosion resistance and most mechanical properties (particularly at higher temperatures).
| Fe | 96.2 to 97.5 | |
| Cr | 1.2 to 1.5 | |
| Mo | 0.5 to 0.7 | |
| Mn | 0.4 to 0.7 | |
| C | 0.39 to 0.45 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.4 | |
| S | 0 to 0.035 | |
| P | 0 to 0.025 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10269: Steels and nickel alloys for fasteners with specified elevated and/or low temperature properties
Creep-Resistant Steels, Fujio Abe et al. (editors), 2008
Microstructure of Steels and Cast Irons, Madeleine Durand-Charre, 2004
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