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Materials/Metals and alloys/Collections

Magnesium alloys

magnesium-alloys

5 materials across 1 types

About magnesium alloys

Magnesium alloys (AZ31B): properties by temper, with sources.

Magnesium is the lightest structural metal. Every value names the alloy, temper and product form.

At a glance

  • Highest tensile strength: Magnesium alloy AZ61 reaches 310 MPa. Lowest: Magnesium (pure metal) (Mg) starts at 140 MPa. (5 of 5 grades have a sourced value.)
  • Highest density: EV31A reaches 1.82 g/cm³. Lowest: Magnesium (pure metal) (Mg) starts at 1.74 g/cm³. (4 of 5 grades have a sourced value.)

Ranges run across the conditions each source reports (temper, heat treatment, form), measured at room temperature where the source says so.

How they compare

The same measurements for every material in the collection. A range means the grade has values under several conditions; "at least" means the source gives a specified minimum. "no data" means no sourced value yet. For ranked tables, open a benchmark.

Magnesium alloys: how the grades compare
MaterialYield strengthTensile strengthDensityYoung's modulusThermal conductivityMelting point
Magnesium alloy AZ31Bwrought structural alloy no data290 MPa1.8 g/cm³45 GPa96 W/(m·K)605 to 630 °C
Magnesium (pure metal) (Mg)light structural metal, alloying base and reducing metal no data140 to 160 MPa1.74 g/cm³45 GPa156 W/(m·K)650 °C
Magnesium alloy AZ61forged structural alloy at least 152 MPa262 to 310 MPa1.8 g/cm³no data79.5 W/(m·K)525 to 610 °C
Magnesium alloy AJ62die-cast structural alloy 121 to 130 MPa225 to 258 MPano datano datano datano data
EV31Aheat-treatable casting alloy 99 to 170 MPa192 to 280 MPa1.82 g/cm³44.8 GPa116 W/(m·K)545 to 640 °C

What these materials are made of

Composition by weight, as printed in the sources for each grade (the first constituents listed).

Composition of each grade
MaterialMain constituents
Magnesium alloy AZ31BMg balance · Al 2.5 to 3.5% · Zn 0.7 to 1.3% · Mn 0.2%
Magnesium alloy AZ61Mg balance · Al 5.8 to 7.2% · Zn 0.4 to 1.5% · Mn 0.15 to 0.5%
Magnesium alloy AJ62Mg balance · Al 6.3% · Sr 2.5% · Mn 0.36%
EV31AMg balance · Nd 2.6 to 3.1% · Gd 1 to 1.7% · Zn 0.2 to 0.5%

Where they are used

Uses
UseGrades
Aircraft fuselagesMagnesium alloy AZ31B
Cell phone and laptop casesMagnesium alloy AZ31B
Magnesium laptop shells and die-cast housingsMagnesium (pure metal) (Mg)
Magnesium-ion battery anode (research stage)Magnesium (pure metal) (Mg)
Aircraft mount forgingsMagnesium alloy AZ61
Aerospace and automotive partsMagnesium alloy AZ61
Automotive engine crankcase and power-train componentsMagnesium alloy AJ62
Transmission cases and oil pans (named for AJ62x, the variant the SAE paper describes)Magnesium alloy AJ62
Magnesium-aluminium composite engine block (BMW)Magnesium alloy AJ62
Transmission and gearbox housingsEV31A
Radar parts and torpedo parts (military)EV31A

When each grade fits

Best use and weak spots of each grade
MaterialBest forWeakest at
Magnesium alloy AZ31BLight wrought sheet, plate and extrusions where weight matters and the part is kept out of chloride solutions. The stockist names aircraft fuselages and phone and laptop cases as uses.Corrosion in chloride solutions (uncoated AZ31: 0.27 mm per year in 3.5 % NaCl and 9.7 mm per year in 5 M NaCl), and fire risk from magnesium metal (GHS statements for the element).
Magnesium (pure metal) (Mg)Light, unalloyed magnesium for research and for alloying or reducing use, such as Kroll-process titanium production and magnesium-ion battery anode research, where the purity matters more than structural strength.Strength and corrosion resistance. Goodfellow gives 140 to 160 MPa tensile strength for pure magnesium against 260 MPa for wrought AZ31, and says chlorides break down the passive film. Powder and ribbon are pyrophoric.
Magnesium alloy AZ61Forged structural parts such as aircraft mounts, made from a cast preform and kept out of salt water (the 2021 study forged this way)Corrosion in chloride solutions (the readable sources give trends, not an AZ61 rate), and fire risk from magnesium metal (element-level GHS statements)
Magnesium alloy AJ62Die-cast engine and power-train parts that run warm, such as crankcases, transmission cases and oil pans, where creep resistance and castability matter more than the highest strength (the sources name these uses)Corrosion data are qualitative only (no corrosion rate read for AJ62), and the strength figures come from one 2007 study of one melt rather than a supplier datasheet
EV31ASand castings that must keep strength up to 200 degC, such as transmission and gearbox housings. The maker names motorsport and aerospace use, and a Bell Helicopter abstract describes rotorcraft transmission housings.Strength depends on the T6 heat treatment, since the as-cast values in the Polish study were below the norms. No immersion corrosion data for this alloy was read, and the GHS fire statements apply to magnesium metal.