Materials / Compare
Steel AISI 1018 vs. Zinc Zamak 3
Compare Steel AISI 1018 vs. Zinc Zamak 3 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 | 372MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn | 221MPasourcetypical |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 441MPasourceproducer-stated, cold drawn | 283MPasourcetypical |
| Elongation at break | 15%sourcein 2 in (50.8 mm) | 10%sourcetypical, in 2 in. |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 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) | 85.5GPasourcetypical |
| Density | 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) | 6,600kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 47.3kN·m/kg41% higher | 33.5kN·m/kg |
| Stiffness to weight | 25.4MN·m/kg1.96x higher | 13MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 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) | 0.27sourcetypical, Zamak 3 hot-chamber die cast |
| Shear modulus | 75.7GPa2.25x stiffer in shear | 33.7GPa |
| Bulk modulus | 185GPa | 62GPa |
| Speed of sound | 5,043m/s | 3,599m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 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) | 113W/m·Ksourcetypical |
| Thermal expansion | 12µm/m·Ksourcebase material: unalloyed carbon steel, Ovako family table (S275JR, 'none alloyed structural steels', C <= 0.21%); mean 20-300 °C | 27.4µm/m·Ksourcetypical |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 60µm growth2.28x less | 137µm growth |
| Specific heat | 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) | 419J/kg·Ksourcetypical |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 13.6mm²/s | 40.9mm²/s3.01x faster |
| Thermal shock resistance | 5,473W/m | 7,782W/m42% more resistant |
| Melting point | not sourced | 381–387°Csourcemelting range |
| Values for | AISI 1018 cold drawn bar (Niagara LaSalle, cold-finished bar producer) | Zamak 3 (ASTM B86 die cast), Nathan Trotter (zinc alloy producer) technical data sheet, typical values |
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 Steel AISI 1018 stronger than Zinc Zamak 3?
Steel AISI 1018 is stronger: its yield strength is 372 MPa against 221 MPa for Zinc Zamak 3 (1.68x).
Which is lighter, Steel AISI 1018 or Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 is lighter: 6,600 kg/m³ against 7,861 kg/m³ for Steel AISI 1018.
Which is stiffer, Steel AISI 1018 or Zinc Zamak 3?
Steel AISI 1018 is stiffer: Young's modulus 200 GPa against 85.5 GPa for Zinc Zamak 3, so the same part in Steel AISI 1018 deflects less under the same load.
Which is lighter for the same job, Steel AISI 1018 or Zinc Zamak 3?
For the same stiffness or strength: Steel AISI 1018 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 | Steel AISI 1018 | Zinc Zamak 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Stiff rod or tie (tension) | lighter | 1.96x heavier |
| Stiff beam (bending) | lighter | 28% heavier |
| Stiff panel or plate | lighter | 11% heavier |
| Strong rod or tie | lighter | 41% heavier |
| Strong beam | lighter | 19% heavier |
| Strong panel or plate | lighter | 9% 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, Steel AISI 1018 or Zinc Zamak 3?
Zinc Zamak 3 conducts heat better: 113 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 27.4 µm/m·K for Zinc Zamak 3.