WE54A (M18410) Magnesium
WE54A magnesium is a magnesium alloy. WE54A is the ASTM designation for this material. M18410 is the UNS number. Additionally, the ISO numeric designation is WD95350.
It has a very high embodied energy among magnesium alloys. In addition, it has a fairly high base cost and a very low electrical conductivity.
The properties of WE54A magnesium 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 WE54A magnesium to other magnesium alloys (top) 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
85
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
44 GPa 6.4 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
4.3 to 5.6 %
Fatigue Strength
98 to 130 MPa 14 to 19 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.29
Shear Modulus
17 GPa 2.5 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
150 to 170 MPa 22 to 25 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
270 to 300 MPa 39 to 43 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
180 MPa 26 to 27 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
330 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
170 °C 340 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
570 °C 1060 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.6 %
Specific Heat Capacity
960 J/kg-K 0.23 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
52 W/m-K 30 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
25 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
10 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
47 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
34 % relative
Density
1.9 g/cm3 120 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
29 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
260 MJ/kg 110 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
900 L/kg 110 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
10 to 14 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
360 to 380 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
62 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
39 to 43 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
49 to 51 points
Thermal Diffusivity
28 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
18 to 19 points
Alloy Composition
| Mg | 88.7 to 93.4 | |
| Y | 4.8 to 5.5 | |
| Zr | 0.4 to 1.0 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Li | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.010 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.010 | |
| Ni | 0 to 0.0050 | |
| rare e. | 1.5 to 4.0 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.3 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
Magnesium Alloys Containing Rare Earth Metals: Structure and Properties, L.L. Rokhlin, 2003
ISO 3116: Magnesium and magnesium alloys - Wrought magnesium alloys
ASTM B80: Standard Specification for Magnesium-Alloy Sand Castings
Essential Readings in Magnesium Technology, Suveen N. Mathaudhu et al. (editors), 2014
Environmental Degradation of Advanced and Traditional Engineering Materials, Lloyd H. Hihara et al., 2014.
Advanced Materials in Automotive Engineering, Jason Rowe (editor), 2012
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993