spore: profile
id: magnesium-az61
spore_version: 0.2
family: magnesium-alloys
name: Magnesium alloy AZ61
abbreviation: AZ61
role: forged structural alloy
category: metals
type: magnesium
summary: |
  AZ61 is a magnesium alloy with about 6 wt% aluminium and 1 wt% zinc. A 2021 study forged sand-cast AZ61 preforms into aircraft mount parts in one die-hammer operation, and hardness rose from 63.6 to 75.5 HV05 after heat treatment. The ASTM B91 forging minimum is 262 MPa tensile and 151.7 MPa yield, and the Goodfellow rod listing gives 310 MPa tensile in the as-drawn condition.
best_for: Forged structural parts such as aircraft mounts, made from a cast preform and kept out of salt water (the 2021 study forged this way)
weakest_at: Corrosion in chloride solutions (the readable sources give trends, not an AZ61 rate), and fire risk from magnesium metal (element-level GHS statements)
identity:
  formula: 'Mg-Al-Zn alloy: Al 5.8 to 7.2 wt%, Zn 0.4 to 1.5 wt%, Mn 0.15 to 0.5 wt%, Si max 0.10, Cu max 0.05, Ni max 0.005, Fe max 0.005, Mg balance (PMC Table 1). Nominal Mg 93, Al 6, Zn 1 (Goodfellow listing, printed as Mg 93/Al 6/Zn 1).'
  designations:
    - system: UNS
      code: M11610
      source: azom-az61a-uns
      where: 'Page title and heading: Grade AZ61A (UNS M11610)'
    - system: Name
      code: AZ61A
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: 'Page title: Magnesium Alloy AZ61A'
    - system: Name
      code: AZ61A-F
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: Round Bar material names
    - system: ASTM
      code: B91
      note: forgings
      source: totalmateria-astm-b91-az61a
      where: 'Specification line: B91: 2017 / Magnesium-Alloy Forgings'
    - system: ASTM
      code: B107
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: Specifications list
    - system: AMS
      code: '4350'
      note: AZ61A-F extrusions
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: Specifications list
    - system: QQ
      code: QQ-M-40B
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: Specifications list
    - system: Name
      code: EN1753 MG-P-63
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: Specifications list, European / AECMA line
    - system: EN
      code: '3.5612'
      source: aircraftmaterials-az61a
      where: Specifications list, Werkstoff 3.5612
    - system: EN name
      code: MgAl6Zn1
      source: goodfellow-az61-rod
      where: EN designation line
  source: pmc-az61-forging
  where: Table 1 (composition, wt%); Goodfellow rod listing for the nominal composition and the MgAl6Zn1 formula
tags:
  environments: []
  applications:
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, rod listing
    value: 1.8
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: not stated
      basis: value on the rod listing, printed rounded to one decimal place
    method: Physical Properties table of a supplier rod listing
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Physical Properties table, Density row (printed as gcm-3)
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting range
    value: 525
    value_high: 610
    bound: range
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: range as printed on the rod listing
    method: Thermal Properties table of a supplier rod listing
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Thermal Properties table, Melting point row (printed 525-610)
  - benchmark: specific_heat
    label: Specific heat capacity
    value: 1050
    unit: J/(kg·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 23 °C
    method: Thermal Properties table of a supplier rod listing (printed as J K-1 kg-1)
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Thermal Properties table, Specific heat row (printed 1050@23°C)
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity
    value: 79.5
    unit: W/(m·K)
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature: 0 °C
    method: Thermal Properties table of a supplier rod listing (printed as W m-1 K-1)
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Thermal Properties table, Thermal conductivity row (printed 79.5@0°C)
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Coefficient of thermal expansion, 20 to 100 °C
    value: 26
    unit: ppm/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temperature_range: 20 to 100 °C
      unit_in_source: x10-6 K-1 (same as ppm/K)
    method: Thermal Properties table of a supplier rod listing
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Thermal Properties table, Coefficient of thermal expansion row (printed 26@20-100°C)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, rod listing, as drawn
    value: 310
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: As Drawn (printed on the listing)
      product_form: rod
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table of a supplier rod listing
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Mechanical Properties table, Tensile strength row
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation at break, rod listing, as drawn
    value: 16
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: As Drawn (printed on the listing)
      product_form: rod
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table of a supplier rod listing
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Mechanical Properties table, Elongation at break row
  - benchmark: shear_strength
    label: Shear strength, rod listing, as drawn
    value: 140
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: As Drawn (printed on the listing)
      product_form: rod
    method: Mechanical Properties table of a supplier rod listing
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Mechanical Properties table, Shear strength row
    note: Not in spores/property-canon.yaml; the snake_case name shear_strength is used.
  - benchmark: electrical_resistivity
    label: Electrical resistivity, rod listing
    value: 12.5
    unit: µOhm·cm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product_form: rod
      temperature: not stated
    method: Electrical Properties table of a supplier rod listing (printed as µOhmcm)
    status: ground
    source: goodfellow-az61-rod
    where: Electrical Properties table, Electrical resistivity row (printed 12.5)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength minimum, ASTM B91 forgings
    value: 262
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product_form: forgings (ASTM B91, 2017)
      temperature_range: 0 to 30 °C
      basis: specification minimum, not a typical value
    method: Mechanical properties minimum listed for B91 on a standards database page
    status: ground
    source: totalmateria-astm-b91-az61a
    where: Mechanical properties table, Tensile strength row (listed as at least 262 MPa, 0-30 °C)
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield strength Rp0.2 minimum, ASTM B91 forgings
    value: 151.7
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product_form: forgings (ASTM B91, 2017)
      temperature_range: 0 to 30 °C
      basis: specification minimum, not a typical value
    method: Mechanical properties minimum listed for B91 on a standards database page
    status: ground
    source: totalmateria-astm-b91-az61a
    where: Mechanical properties table, Yield strength Rp0.2 row (listed as at least 151.7 MPa, 0-30 °C)
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation minimum, ASTM B91 forgings
    value: 6
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product_form: forgings (ASTM B91, 2017)
      temperature_range: 0 to 30 °C
      basis: specification minimum, not a typical value
    method: Mechanical properties minimum listed for B91 on a standards database page
    status: ground
    source: totalmateria-astm-b91-az61a
    where: Mechanical properties table, Elongation A row (listed as at least 6 %, 0-30 °C)
  - benchmark: hardness_vickers
    label: Hardness HV05, forging II after forging and heat treatment
    value: 75.5
    unit: HV05
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: cast preform forged in one operation, then heat treated (Section 2.2 solution treatment 415 °C for 6 h, water cooling; aging 175 °C for 24 h, air cooling)
      test: HV0.5 per PN-EN ISO 6507-1:2006 (as printed)
      spread: std. dev. 1.6 (printed)
    method: Hardness table, mean HV05 (Table 7)
    status: ground
    source: pmc-az61-forging
    where: Section 2.3 and Table 7, row Forging II after forging and heat treatment (mean 75.5, std. dev. 1.6)
    note: Not in spores/property-canon.yaml; the snake_case name hardness_vickers is used. A single study value.
corrosion:
  - environment: Extruded AZ61 coupons in aerated 3.5 wt% NaCl at room temperature (immersion), and in 3.5 wt% NaCl spray at 35 °C alternating with humid and drying stages (cyclic), over 60 h
    headline: The study compares immersion and salt spray for AZ61 but the readable text gives no corrosion rate.
    effect: Salt-spray coupons lost less weight and gained weight; both trends were described as linear (Figure 1). Immersion coupons lost less thickness than salt-spray coupons; both followed a logarithmic trend (Figure 2). The figures are image-only, so no numbers are recorded.
    conditions:
      temperature: room temperature (immersion); 35 °C (spray)
      duration: over 60 h
      alloy: extruded AZ61 (composition not stated on the page)
    source: cavs-az61-corrosion
    where: Results, Figures 1 and 2 (captions); Methods text
    rating: unknown
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: PubChem's aggregated GHS reports for magnesium metal (2,205 company reports from 27 ECHA notifications) give flammable solid (44.9%), pyrophoric solid (36.5%) and self-heating (18%). The hazard statements printed are H250 (catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air) and H260 (in contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously). 18.4% of reports (405 of 2,205) say the element does not meet GHS criteria. These are element-level statements, not a classification of AZ61 as supplied.
      ghs:
        - H250
        - H260
      source: pubchem-mg
      where: Safety and Hazards, Hazards Identification, GHS Classification (CID 5462224)
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Chloride corrosion of uncoated AZ61
      trigger: Immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl or cyclic salt spray (study conditions)
      consequence: Extruded coupons lost thickness over 60 h; the readable text gives trends only, not a rate
      severity: moderate
      source: cavs-az61-corrosion
      where: Results, Figures 1 and 2; Methods
    - mode: Fire or flammable gas from magnesium metal
      trigger: Contact with water (H260) or exposure to air of pyrophoric forms (H250)
      consequence: The GHS statements say the element can release flammable gas or catch fire spontaneously (element-level, not the alloy as supplied)
      severity: high
      source: pubchem-mg
      where: GHS Classification, H250 and H260 statements (CID 5462224)
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: The GHS statements say that contact with water releases flammable gas (H260). Keep the metal dry and away from water.
      source: pubchem-mg
      where: GHS Classification, H260 statement (CID 5462224)
    - text: PubChem lists fire extinguishing agents not to be used as water, foam, halogenated agents and carbon dioxide, and inert dry powders as the agents to use.
      source: pubchem-mg
      where: Safety and Hazards, Fire Fighting, Fire Extinguishing Agents
    - text: The Goodfellow rod listing says a US regulation safety data sheet is available and that other languages can be supplied on request. Read the SDS for the exact product before cutting, grinding or welding.
      source: goodfellow-az61-rod
      where: Product page, SDS notice
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: structures
    device: Aircraft mount forgings
    example: The 2021 study forged sand-cast AZ61 preforms into aircraft mount forgings in one die-hammer operation, and compared the process with forging from extruded rod.
    source: pmc-az61-forging
    where: Abstract; Section 3.1 (material consumption)
  - application: structures
    device: Aerospace and automotive parts
    example: The study says AZ61 is of interest to the aerospace and automotive industries. This is a general statement, not a list of parts.
    source: pmc-az61-forging
    where: Section 1 (Introduction), sentence on AZ61
supply:
  - subject: Magnesium metal, world primary (smelter) production (AZ61 is made from this metal; no alloy-specific supply data was read)
    abundance: 'USGS: resources for magnesium range from large to virtually unlimited and are globally widespread. Magnesium-bearing brines are estimated to constitute a resource in the billions of tons.'
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 87.7
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 5.5
        year: 2025
      - country: Brazil
        share_percent: 1.8
        year: 2025
      - country: Israel
        share_percent: 1.8
        year: 2025
      - country: Turkey
        share_percent: 1.4
        year: 2025
      - country: Kazakhstan
        share_percent: 1.2
        year: 2025
      - country: Iran
        share_percent: 0.5
        year: 2025
      - country: United States
        share_percent: 0
        year: 2025
    critical_lists:
      - list: USGS 2025 final List of Critical Minerals (magnesium; page read through the fetch tool)
        listed: true
        where: 'Quoted line: "Magnesium, used in metal alloys used by aerospace, automotive and electronics industries" (page dated November 6, 2025)'
    recycling: 'USGS: In 2025, about 26,000 tons of secondary magnesium was recovered from old scrap and 82,000 tons from new scrap.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: Aluminum and zinc may substitute for magnesium in castings and wrought products. The relatively light weight of magnesium is an advantage over aluminum and zinc in most applications; however, its high cost is a disadvantage relative to these substitutes.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-magnesium-metal
    where: 'World Primary Production and Reserves table, smelter production 2025 (world total 1,100 thousand t, rounded; shares calculated by Space Mushroom over the listed 2025 values, sum 1,083 thousand t). Domestic Production and Use: 69% of 2025 primary consumption went into castings, principally automotive. Recycling and Substitutes sections. US smelter production shown as a dash.'
  - subject: Magnesium metal (99.8% purity) imported to the United States, 2021 to 2024
    producers:
      - country: Israel
        share_percent: 47
      - country: Turkey
        share_percent: 31
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 8
      - country: China
        share_percent: 6
    source: usgs-mcs2026-magnesium-metal
    where: Import Sources (2021-24), magnesium metal (99.8% purity) row; the other 8% is not listed by country
documents:
  - title: 'Goodfellow: AZ61 Magnesium Rod, product listing with material properties'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.goodfellow.com/usa/az61-rod-group
  - title: 'AircraftMaterials technical data sheet: Magnesium Alloy AZ61A'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://aircraftmaterials.com/data/magnesium/az61a.html
  - title: 'AZoM: Grade AZ61A (UNS M11610) Extrusions'
    type: database
    url: https://www.azom.com/metals/magnesium-alloy_grade-az61a-(uns-m11610)_extrusions
  - title: 'Dziubinska, Surdacki and Majerski (2021), Materials 14(10):2593: AZ61 sand-cast preforms forged into aircraft mounts (PMC copy)'
    type: paper
    url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8156473
    year: 2021
  - title: 'TotalMateria: ASTM B91 AZ61A magnesium alloy forgings, specification minimums'
    type: database
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/3130104
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Magnesium Metal'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-magnesium-metal.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS: About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals'
    type: report
    url: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals
    year: 2025
  - title: 'PubChem: Magnesium, CID 5462224, Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification'
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5462224
  - title: 'Mississippi State University CAVS: AZ61 extruded magnesium corrosion (immersion and cyclic salt spray)'
    type: report
    url: https://www.cavs.msstate.edu/icme/Magnesium/corrosion/AZ61Corrosion.php
gaps:
  - 'media: no image was fetched or licence-checked for this profile, so there is no media list. The lithium profile carries Wikimedia images under CC licences; none were read here.'
  - 'Base AZ61 corrosion rate: no readable source with a unit was found. The Chen et al. 2015 conference abstract (Atlantis Press) gives 2.19 and 2.87 mm/a for AZ61 with 1% Ca added. That is a different alloy, so it is not used. The MSU CAVS page prints no rates; its figures are image-only.'
  - 'Yield strength of the rod listing: the Goodfellow page prints tensile (310 MPa) and shear (140 MPa) but no yield value for the as-drawn rod.'
  - AircraftMaterials AZ61A-F round bar values (ultimate 46, 45 and 45; yield 33, 33 and 31; elongation 17, 16 and 15) print no units, so they are not recorded.
  - Goodfellow hardness (printed as Hardness - Brinell, 60) prints no unit on the page, so it is not recorded.
  - 'Alloys International AZ61A-F page: no values printed. MakeItFrom, MDPI (site) and MachineMFG returned HTTP 403 to the fetch tool. The MDPI paper was read through its PMC copy.'
  - PMC Table 6 electrical conductivity (MS/m, 8.22 to 9.04) is printed, but it is not a canonical property name, so it is left out.
  - PMC conclusions give Rm 250 MPa (new technology) and 292 MPa (bar forging, citing reference 35). No test condition is printed, and the reference list identifies that reference as another paper, so both are left out.
  - 'Elastic modulus, Poisson''s ratio, fatigue, compressive yield, and space or cryogenic data: not found in a readable source.'
  - 'Uses: both use entries come from one study (PMC 2021) and the USGS statement about castings. Automotive forged parts named on a vendor copy were not fetched and are not recorded.'
  - ISO and ASTM B90 designations for AZ61 are not confirmed. The ASTM B91 page lists forgings. The sheet and plate specification for AZ61 was not read.
  - 'Supply shares: calculated by Space Mushroom from the 2025 USGS smelter production values (sum 1,083 thousand t), the same way as the AZ31B profile. The supply data is for magnesium metal, not AZ61 alone.'
  - Fire and reactivity GHS data are element-level. No AZ61 safety data sheet was opened.
  - Severity ratings in failure_risks (high, moderate) are the profile writer's judgement, not a source value.
sources:
  goodfellow-az61-rod:
    title: 'Goodfellow: AZ61 Magnesium Rod, product listing with material properties'
    url: https://www.goodfellow.com/usa/az61-rod-group
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier web page, cited and not reproduced
  aircraftmaterials-az61a:
    title: 'AircraftMaterials technical data sheet: Magnesium Alloy AZ61A (composition, specifications)'
    url: https://aircraftmaterials.com/data/magnesium/az61a.html
    kind: datasheet
    license: Stockist web page, cited and not reproduced
  azom-az61a-uns:
    title: 'AZoM: Grade AZ61A (UNS M11610) Extrusions'
    url: https://www.azom.com/metals/magnesium-alloy_grade-az61a-(uns-m11610)_extrusions
    kind: database
    license: Web page, cited and not reproduced
  pmc-az61-forging:
    title: 'Dziubinska, Surdacki and Majerski: AZ61 sand-cast preform forging for aircraft mounts, Materials 2021, 14(10):2593'
    url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8156473
    id: PMC8156473; Materials 2021, 14(10), 2593
    year: 2021
    kind: paper
    license: PMC copy of the journal article, cited and not reproduced
  totalmateria-astm-b91-az61a:
    title: 'TotalMateria: ASTM B91 AZ61A magnesium alloy forgings, specification minimums'
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/3130104
    kind: database
    license: Database page, cited and not reproduced
  usgs-mcs2026-magnesium-metal:
    title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Magnesium Metal'
    id: USGS MCS 2026, February 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-magnesium-metal.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-crit2025:
    title: About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals (USGS, final list)
    url: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals
    year: 2025
    kind: web
    license: public domain (USGS)
  pubchem-mg:
    title: 'Magnesium, PubChem compound CID 5462224: Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification'
    id: PubChem CID 5462224; aggregated from ECHA C&L notifications
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5462224
    kind: database
    license: PubChem (NCBI) public data
  cavs-az61-corrosion:
    title: 'Mississippi State University CAVS: AZ61 extruded magnesium corrosion (immersion and cyclic salt spray)'
    url: https://www.cavs.msstate.edu/icme/Magnesium/corrosion/AZ61Corrosion.php
    kind: web
    license: University web page, cited and not reproduced
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 13
  unreachable: 4
  caveats: 6
  note: 'Written 2026-10-26 from pages fetched in this run (fetch tool, curl and PubChem JSON). Values are as printed. Caveats: density rounded (1.8); the strength minimums are ASTM B91 forging limits, not rod values; hardness is one study; no base-alloy corrosion rate was readable; the composition is from a 2021 study table and the nominal from a rod listing.'
story:
  recipe:
    line: 'Wrought-grade Mg-Al-Zn alloy with about 6 wt% aluminium and 1 wt% zinc (Goodfellow nominal: Mg 93, Al 6, Zn 1). In the 2021 study the alloy was sand cast as a preform, annealed at 415 °C for 24 h, solution treated at 415 °C for 6 h with water cooling, and aged at 175 °C for 24 h (Section 2.2).'
    parts:
      - name: Magnesium
        symbol: Mg
        share_note: balance
        role: The base metal and the balance of the alloy.
        source: pmc-az61-forging
        where: Table 1, Mg row (balance)
      - name: Aluminium
        symbol: Al
        share_percent: 5.8
        share_high: 7.2
        role: Main alloying addition.
        source: pmc-az61-forging
        where: Table 1, Al row (wt%)
      - name: Zinc
        symbol: Zn
        share_percent: 0.4
        share_high: 1.5
        role: Second alloying addition.
        source: pmc-az61-forging
        where: Table 1, Zn row (wt%)
      - name: Manganese
        symbol: Mn
        share_percent: 0.15
        share_high: 0.5
        role: Minor addition.
        source: pmc-az61-forging
        where: Table 1, Mn row (wt%)
      - name: Impurity limits
        symbol: Si, Cu, Ni, Fe
        share_note: 'maximum: Si 0.10, Cu 0.05, Ni 0.005, Fe 0.005'
        role: Limits on impurities.
        source: pmc-az61-forging
        where: Table 1, Si, Cu, Ni and Fe rows
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      lead: The only hazard data opened is PubChem's GHS data for magnesium metal. It is element-level, not a classification of AZ61 as supplied.
      gap: No safety data sheet for the alloy was opened, and no dust or fume data for machining or welding was found.
      points:
        - label: Fire statements
          line: Magnesium metal is listed as catching fire spontaneously if exposed to air (H250) and as releasing flammable gases on contact with water (H260).
    - title: If it fails
      lead: The failure routes come from the corrosion study and the GHS statements.
      points:
        - label: Chloride corrosion
          line: Extruded AZ61 coupons were immersed or salt-sprayed for 60 h. The study reports trends for the weight and thickness loss, not a rate.
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Water
          line: Contact with water releases flammable gas (H260), so keep the metal dry.
        - label: Fire
          line: PubChem lists water, foam, halogenated agents and carbon dioxide as agents not to be used on a magnesium fire.
  why: AZ61 is a magnesium alloy with about 6% aluminium. The 2021 study chose it for aircraft mount forgings because sand-cast preforms could be shaped near the final part and forged in one operation. The USGS says 69% of 2025 primary magnesium consumption went into castings, principally automotive, so forged parts are a smaller share of the market.
  uses:
    - where: Aircraft mount forgings
      line: The 2021 study forged sand-cast AZ61 preforms into aircraft mount forgings in one die-hammer operation.
    - where: Aerospace and automotive parts
      line: The study says AZ61 is of interest to the aerospace and automotive industries.
  can_do:
    - label: Weight
      value: 1.8 g/cm3
      line: The Goodfellow rod listing gives density as 1.8 g/cm3.
      benchmark: density
    - label: Strength, as drawn rod
      value: 310 MPa tensile
      line: The Goodfellow rod listing gives 310 MPa tensile and 16% elongation at break, as drawn.
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    - label: Forging minimum
      value: 262 MPa tensile, 151.7 MPa yield
      line: ASTM B91 forgings are listed at least 262 MPa tensile, 151.7 MPa yield and 6% elongation, at 0 to 30 °C.
      benchmark: yield_strength
    - label: Heat conduction
      value: 79.5 W/(m·K)
      line: Thermal conductivity is 79.5 W/(m·K) at 0 °C on the Goodfellow rod listing.
      benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    - label: Thermal expansion
      value: 26 ppm/K
      line: The Goodfellow listing gives a mean coefficient of thermal expansion of 26 ppm/K over 20 to 100 °C.
      benchmark: cte
  compare: The USGS says aluminium and zinc may substitute for magnesium in castings and wrought products. Magnesium's light weight is an advantage over them in most applications, but its high cost is a disadvantage. This profile holds no strength-per-mass figures for aluminium or zinc, so it does not rank AZ61 against them.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Density
      benchmark: density
    - label: Thermal conductivity
      benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    - label: Thermal expansion
      benchmark: cte
  handling:
    - Keep the metal dry. The GHS statements say contact with water releases flammable gas (H260).
    - Read the supplier's safety data sheet before cutting, grinding or welding. The Goodfellow listing says one is available.
    - Use the fire agents PubChem lists. Water, foam, halogenated agents and carbon dioxide are listed as agents not to be used.
  good_for:
    - Forged structural parts such as aircraft mounts, the use the 2021 study tested.
    - Parts made from a cast preform. The study says forging from sand-cast preforms used about 18% to 47% less material than forging from extruded rod.
    - Light parts. Density is 1.8 g/cm3 on the Goodfellow listing.
  watch_out:
    - Corrosion in chloride. The MSU study immersed and salt-sprayed extruded AZ61 for 60 h. The readable page gives trends, not a rate.
    - Condition. The 310 MPa figure is for as-drawn rod, the 262 and 151.7 MPa figures are ASTM B91 forging minimums, and the 75.5 HV05 hardness is after the study's heat treatment.
    - 'Fire. The GHS statements for magnesium metal are element-level: H250 and H260.'
  verdict: AZ61 is a light magnesium alloy with about 6% aluminium and 1% zinc, a density of 1.8 g/cm3, and a 2021 study showing it can be forged from cast preforms into aircraft mounts. The readable sources describe its corrosion in salt solutions only as trends, so no base-alloy corrosion rate is recorded.