Materials / Compare
Iron vs. Titanium
Compare Iron vs. Titanium 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 | 186MPasourcetypical (0.2% YS), hot rolled + SRA/recrystallization anneal | 885MPasourcetypical, plate (>0.187 in), annealed, 0.2% offset |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 290MPasourcetypical, SRA/recrystallization anneal | 940MPasourcetypical, plate, annealed |
| Elongation at break | 38%sourcetypical, gauge 4D0 | 16%sourcetypical, in 2 in., plate annealed |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 207GPasourcetypical, after SRA/recrystallization anneal | 107–122GPasourcetypical range, 20 °C |
| Density | 7,860kg/m³sourcetypical | 4,430kg/m³sourcenominal |
| Strength to weight | 23.7kN·m/kg | 200kN·m/kg8.44x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | 26.3MN·m/kg2% higher | 25.8MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.282sourceNIST critically evaluated best value (polycrystalline iron) | 0.342sourcemean of TIMET measurements |
| Shear modulus | 80.7GPa1.89x stiffer in shear | 42.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 158GPa | 121GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,132m/s | 5,084m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 73.2W/m·Ksourcetypical at 20 °C | 6.6W/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C, mill annealed |
| Thermal expansion | 13.7µm/m·Ksourcemean, 20-399 °C | 9µm/m·Ksourcetypical, mean 0-100 °C |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 68.5µm growth | 45µm growth1.52x less |
| Specific heat | 450J/kg·Ksourcetypical | 580J/kg·Ksourcetypical, 20 °C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 20.7mm²/s8.06x faster | 2.57mm²/s |
| Thermal shock resistance | 3,447W/m | 3,730W/m8% more resistant |
| Melting point | 1,532°Csourcetypical | 1,630–1,650°Csourcemelting range |
| Max service temperature | not sourced | 400°Csourceupper recommended use temperature |
| Values for | Cleveland-Cliffs / AK Steel ARMCO Pure Iron Product Data Bulletin (07/2022): Table 1 typical physical properties, Table 2 typical mechanical properties after SRA/recrystallization anneal. | TIMETAL 6-4 (Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) annealed plate typical (TIMET properties manual) + TIMET datasheet TMC-0150 physical properties |
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 Iron stronger than Titanium?
Titanium is stronger: its yield strength is 885 MPa against 186 MPa for Iron (4.76x).
Which is lighter, Iron or Titanium?
Titanium is lighter: 4,430 kg/m³ against 7,860 kg/m³ for Iron.
Which is stiffer, Iron or Titanium?
Iron is stiffer: Young's modulus 207 GPa against 115 GPa for Titanium, so the same part in Iron deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Iron or Titanium?
For the same stiffness or strength: Iron is lighter for a stiff rod or tie (tension); Titanium is lighter for a stiff beam (bending), stiff panel or plate, strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Iron | Titanium |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 2% heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | 32% heavier | lighter |
| Stiff panel or plate | 46% heavier | lighter |
| Strong rod or tie | 8.44x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 5.02x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 3.87x heavier | lighter |
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, Iron or Titanium?
Iron conducts heat better: 73.2 W/m·K against 6.6 W/m·K for Titanium.
Which expands less with temperature?
Titanium expands less: 9 µm/m·K against 13.7 µm/m·K for Iron.