Why are some metals stronger than others? How do manufacturers choose an optimal metal for particular projects? Well, it all depends on metal’s strengths and their behavior in tough situations.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the metal strength chart, and their properties, and define each metal’s performance. So keep reading to make the right choice for your metalworking project.
What is a Metal Strength Chart?
Image Description: The image is an illustration of a metal strength chart. It shows curves of strain (x-axis) versus stress (y-axis), highlighting key points like yield strength, tensile strength, and ultimate strength.
The metal strength chart is a graphical illustration of the strength features of metal. It allows making a comparison of metals based on their tensile, yield, and shear strengths.
Moreover, strength charts depict how different metals perform in terms of stress and deformation. These charts are useful to engineers, particularly in the identification of the most suitable material to use in a certain project. Therefore, you have to become acquainted with material behavior under high pressure.
Why Knowing Metal Strength Is Important?
Understanding metal strength allows you to make the right material choice. Further, it assists you in preventing material failure before happening.
For instance, steel has a good yield and compression strength. While aluminum is lighter than steel but weaker when it comes of internal strength. Titanium is extremely strong but considerably light making it ideal for aerospace components. So, selecting an appropriate metal increases safety and longevity in engineering applications. Moreover, It permits minimal maintenance and repair costs.
What are The Common Types Of Metal Strength?
Typical metal strength types include:
Yield Strength
Yield strength is a limit to which the load is applicable before undergoing permanent deformation. If a material is surpassed, then it won’t regain its original form again. The yield strength of these metals is directly proportional to their capability of withstanding wear and tear. Normally, the property is obvious in the automotive and aerospace sectors and it defines highly important interfaces.
Tensile Strength
Tensile strength is defined as a mathematical property for material that comes under stretching forces. Metals perceived as high strengths can normally withstand tension before fretting. For instance, steel doesn’t break at large forces. Construction and manufacturing sectors require high tensile strength as a virtue.
Compressive Strength
Compressive strength describes the ability to handle weight-bearing loads for the material in question. It gives out the extent to which a metal can take before it fails under a compressing force. Concrete and steel are designed to take compression load in construction.
Shear Strength
Sliding force measures the capacity of a material to convey absolute shear strength. It is crucial about the materials of fasteners and joints. Steel and titanium for instance are particularly known to be the best materials as far as the shear force is concerned. The property offers reliability in structural as well as mechanically related conditions.
The metal strength chart is based on the key parameters described above. Experts always refer to these parameters to pinpoint the material’s suitability in different applications.
Material Hardness
Hardness defines the metal’s ability to bear either indentation or wear. More massive materials are rather more resistant to put on and tear. Hardness is particularly critical in tools and equipment. It depends on the type of environment, but in particular, it controls the product’s durability in conditions where they are exposed to constant wear.
Ductility
The ductility of metal describes the ability to bend without breaking. Challenging material can bend through applications such as stretching and bending. However, flexible materials can work without failure at higher levels of loading.
Effective Methods for Improving Metal Strength
Improving metal strength is essential for enhancing performance and durability. There are several methods used to achieve this.
Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is one of the most common ways to improve metal strength. Processes like quenching, tempering, and annealing alter the metal’s microstructure. This increases hardness and strength. For example, quenching steel makes it harder by cooling it rapidly.
Alloying
Alloying involves mixing metals with other elements to improve strength. Adding elements like carbon, chromium, and nickel can increase tensile and yield strength. Steel, for instance, becomes stronger and more resistant to corrosion when alloyed with chromium to form stainless steel.
Cold Working
Cold working strengthens metals by deforming them at room temperature. Processes like rolling, drawing, or extrusion compress the metal’s grain structure. This results in increased strength and hardness. Cold working is often used in wire and sheet metal production.
Grain Refinement
Refining the grain structure of a metal enhances its strength. Smaller grains create more grain boundaries, which improve resistance to deformation. This process is often used in high-performance alloys for aerospace and automotive applications.
Surface Hardening
Surface hardening methods like carburizing and nitriding increase surface strength without affecting the core. These processes introduce carbon or nitrogen to the surface, making it harder. This technique is often used for gears and other parts exposed to wear.
Precipitation Hardening
Precipitation hardening involves adding small particles to a metal to block dislocations. This increases strength and hardness, especially in alloys like aluminum and titanium. It’s commonly used in the aerospace and defense industries.
Tempering
Hardening is normally carried out after heating to minimize the material toughness to its desired application. The quenched metal is then heated to temperature in a range of 200°C to 650°C. This enables the metal’s internal structure of the metal to come to equilibrium. In this way, it stands in the middle between hardness and strength.
Annealing
Annealing makes metal tougher by heating it to a certain temperature. It also serves to deport internal stresses, increase ductility, and improve metal workability. Moreover, annealing is mostly applied to copper, aluminum, and also to mild steel. It increases the metal’s formability and decreases the tendency of the metal to fracture.
Normalizing
The process of normalizing looks very close to hardening, the techniques used differ slightly, and normalization is done by heating the metal just above its critical temperature, allowing it to cool in air. This process gives the material a refinement of grain producing better strength and toughness. Normalizing is normally used for carbon steels since it assists in achieving uniform structures.
Carburizing
Carburizing involves introducing carbon to the surface of low-carbon steels. The metal is heated in a carbon-rich environment and the resulting high temperature is used to diffuse the carbon into the outer material surface. The process of carburizing is optimal for gear shaft bearings and products; susceptible to wear.
What are the Commonly Used High-Strength Metals
- Chromium
- Titanium
- Tungsten
- Carbon Steel
- Stainless Steel
- Magnesium Alloys
- Inconel
- Iron
Metal Strength Comparison Chart: Key Properties and Performance
Here’s a comparison of various metals based on key strength parameters, including tensile strength, yield strength, hardness, and density. These metrics help in understanding the suitability of metals for different applications.
| Metal Type | Tensile Strength (PSI) | Yield Strength (PSI) | Hardness (Brinell HB) | Density (g/cm³) |
| Steel – Stainless 303 | 100,000 | 62,000 | 228 (HB) | 8 |
| Steel – Stainless 304 | ≥74,700 | 47,900 | 123 (HB) | 8 |
| Steel – Stainless 316 | 84,100 | 42,100 | 149 (HB) | 8 |
| Steel – Stainless 410 | 221,200 | 177,700 | 422 (HB) | 7.8 |
| Steel – Stainless 440 | 254,000 | 186,000 | 58 (HRC) | 7.8 |
| Steel – Stainless 630 | 150,000 – 210,000 | 130,000 – 200,000 | 352 (HB) | 7.8 |
| Steel 1040 | 89,900 | 60,200 | 201 (HB) | 7.8 |
| Steel A36 | 58,000 – 79,800 | 36,300 | 140 (HB) | 7.8 |
| Steel Grade 50 | 65,300 | 50,000 | 135 (HB) | 7.8 |
| Steel D2 | 210,000 – 250,000 | 239,000 – 319,000 | 55 – 62 (HRC) | 7.7 |
| Titanium – Grade 1 | 18,000 – 34,800 | 24,700 – 45,000 | 120 (HB) | 4.5 |
| Titanium Alloy – Grade 12 | 65,300 | 55,100 | 180 – 235 (HB) | 4.5 |
| Tungsten | 250,000 | 172,500 | 250 (HB) | 19.3 |
| Magnesium Alloy | 13,100 – 74,700 | 3,050 – 66,700 | 30 – 118 (HB) | 1.3 – 2.4 |
| Aluminum – 1050-H14 | 16,000 | 14,900 | 30 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 1060-H14 | 14,000 | 13,000 | 26 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 2024 | 29,000 – 79,000 | 14,000 – 71,000 | 47 – 135 (HB) | 2.8 |
| Aluminum – 3003 | 16,000 – 34,000 | 5,700 – 30,000 | 20-25 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 5052-H11 | 28,000 | 11,000 | 46 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 5052-H32 | 33,000 | 28,000 | 60 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 5083 | 41,000 – 57,000 | 17,000 – 50,000 | 75 – 110 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 6061-T6 | 45,000 | 39,000 | 93 (HB) | 2.7 |
| Aluminum – 7075-T6 | 83,000 | 73,000 | 150 (HB) | 2.8 |
| Aluminum – Bronze | 8,000 – 147,000 | 10,000 – 116,000 | 40 – 420 (HB) | 7.9 |
| Brass | 18,000 – 150,000 | 5,000 – 99,100 | 54 – 100 (HRC) | 7.2 – 8.6 |
| Copper | 32,000 | 20,000 | 89 (HRC) | 8.9 |
| Copper – Beryllium | 70,000 – 200,000 | 23,000 – 180,000 | 23 – 43 (HRC) | 8.8 |
| Copper – Tungsten | ≥58,000 | – | 115 – 290 (HB) | 14 – 17 |
| Phosphor Bronze – PB1 | 47,000 – 140,000 | 19,000 – 80,100 | 70 – 103 (HB) | 8.9 |
| Zinc | 5,370 – 64,000 | 18,100 – 56,000 | 42 – 119 (HB) | 5.0 – 7.1 |
Summary
In summary, understanding metal strength is crucial for selecting the right material for any engineering project. The properties of metals such as tensile strength, yield strength, hardness, and density directly impact their performance in real-world applications. The metal strength chart provides an essential reference for comparing these properties, helping manufacturers and engineers choose the most suitable material for specific needs. Whether you’re working with aluminum, steel, titanium, or specialty alloys, knowing their strengths is optimal for performance and durability.
FAQs
Q1. What is tensile strength?
Tensile strength is the maximum stress a material can withstand before breaking. It is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) and is crucial for materials that undergo stretching or pulling.
Q2. How does yield strength differ from tensile strength?
Yield strength is the stress level at which a material begins to deform permanently, while tensile strength is the maximum stress it can handle before fracture. Yield strength is typically lower than tensile strength.
Q3. Why is hardness important in metals?
Hardness indicates a metal’s resistance to deformation, scratching, or wear. A higher hardness rating means the metal is more resistant to external forces and ideal for high-wear applications.
Q4. Which metal is the strongest based on tensile strength?
Tungsten has the highest tensile strength among naturally occurring metals. It reached up to 250,000 PSI.
Q5. How does the density of a metal affect its use?
Density impacts the weight of the metal, influencing the choice for lightweight or heavy-duty applications. For example, titanium is preferred in aerospace due to its low density and high strength.
