Materials / Compare
Aluminum ADC12 vs. Stainless Steel 304
Compare Aluminum ADC12 vs. Stainless Steel 304 strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 149MPasourceone test result, 0.2% proof stress, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 241MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 345MPasourceone test result, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 586MPasourcetypical, annealed, 70 °F (21 °C) |
| Elongation at break | 2.3%sourceone test result, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 55%sourcetypical, annealed, in 2 in. (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 79.8GPasourcestandard value (S.S.Aluminum) | 193GPasourcetypical, in tension |
| Density | 2,680kg/m³sourcemeasured (Daiki) | 8,030kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 55.6kN·m/kg1.85x higher | 30kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 29.8MN·m/kg24% higher | 24MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.3sourcedesign value (structural stainless steels) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 74.2GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 161GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,457m/s | 4,903m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 125W/m·Ksourcemeasured on specimens cut from a 50 x 100 x 5 mm flat die casting (Daiki) | 16.2W/m·Ksourceat 100 °C |
| Thermal expansion | 21µm/m·Ksourcemeasured, temperature range not stated (Daiki) | 16.9µm/m·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 105µm growth | 84.5µm growth24% less |
| Specific heat | 911J/kg·Ksourcemeasured (Daiki) | 500J/kg·Ksourcemean, 0–100 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 51.2mm²/s12.7x faster | 4.03mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 838W/m |
| Melting point | 515–582°Csourcesolidus-liquidus (Daiki) | 1,399–1,454°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 899°Csourcecontinuous, oxidation (scaling) limit in air |
| Values for | JIS ADC12 (Al-Si-Cu, about A383 / EN AC-46100) high-pressure die-casting alloy, as cast; physical properties from Daiki Aluminium Industry (ADC12 ingot producer) measured values; modulus from S.S.Aluminum (ADC12 ingot producer) standard values. | Type 304, annealed flat-rolled (Cleveland-Cliffs 304/304L Product Data Bulletin, May 2021); Poisson's ratio from the Nickel Institute/SCI structural stainless design manual |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Is Aluminum ADC12 stronger than Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 is stronger: its yield strength is 241 MPa against 149 MPa for Aluminum ADC12 (1.62x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum ADC12 or Stainless Steel 304?
Aluminum ADC12 is lighter: 2,680 kg/m³ against 8,030 kg/m³ for Stainless Steel 304.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum ADC12 or Stainless Steel 304?
Stainless Steel 304 is stiffer: Young's modulus 193 GPa against 79.8 GPa for Aluminum ADC12, so the same part in Stainless Steel 304 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum ADC12 or Stainless Steel 304?
For the same stiffness or strength: Aluminum ADC12 is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension), stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Aluminum ADC12 | Stainless Steel 304 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 24% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 1.93x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.23x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 1.85x heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 2.17x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 2.36x heavier |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, Aluminum ADC12 or Stainless Steel 304?
Aluminum ADC12 conducts heat better: 125 W/m·K against 16.2 W/m·K for Stainless Steel 304.
Which expands less with temperature?
Stainless Steel 304 expands less: 16.9 µm/m·K against 21 µm/m·K for Aluminum ADC12.