Materials / Compare
Aluminum ADC12 vs. Steel AISI 1018
Compare Aluminum ADC12 vs. Steel AISI 1018 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) | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 345MPasourceone test result, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn |
| Elongation at break | 2.3%sourceone test result, as cast, ASTM tensile bar (Daiki) | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 79.8GPasourcestandard value (S.S.Aluminum) | 200GPasourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Density | 2,680kg/m³sourcemeasured (Daiki) | 7,861kg/m³sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Strength to weight | 55.6kN·m/kg17% higher | 47.3kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 29.8MN·m/kg17% higher | 25.4MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | not sourced | 0.32sourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | 75.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | 185GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,457m/s | 5,043m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 125W/m·Ksourcemeasured on specimens cut from a 50 x 100 x 5 mm flat die casting (Daiki) | 51.9W/m·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Thermal expansion | 21µm/m·Ksourcemeasured, temperature range not stated (Daiki) | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 105µm growth | 60µm growth1.75x less |
| Specific heat | 911J/kg·Ksourcemeasured (Daiki) | 486J/kg·Ksourcebase material: AISI 1025 plain carbon steel (MIL-HDBK-5J design value; ASTM A108 bar is the cold-finished carbon-steel bar spec that also covers 1018) |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 51.2mm²/s3.77x faster | 13.6mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | 5,473W/m |
| Melting point | 515–582°Csourcesolidus-liquidus (Daiki) | not sourced |
| 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. | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) |
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 Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 149 MPa for Aluminum ADC12 (2.5x).
Which is lighter, Aluminum ADC12 or Steel AISI 1018?
Aluminum ADC12 is lighter: 2,680 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, Aluminum ADC12 or Steel AISI 1018?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 79.8 GPa for Aluminum ADC12, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Aluminum ADC12 or Steel AISI 1018?
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 | Steel AISI 1018 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 17% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 1.85x heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 2.16x heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 17% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 1.59x heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 1.86x 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 Steel AISI 1018?
Aluminum ADC12 conducts heat better: 125 W/m·K against 51.9 W/m·K for Steel AISI 1018.
Which expands less with temperature?
Steel AISI 1018 expands less: 12 µm/m·K against 21 µm/m·K for Aluminum ADC12.