What is Density of Magnesium Alloys - Elektron 21 - Definition

Density of typical magnesium alloy is 1.8 g/cm3 (Elektron 21). Its density is the most outstanding characteristic, therefore magnesium alloys are used where light weight is an important consideration (e.g., in aircraft components).

Magnesium alloys are mixtures of magnesium and other alloying metal, usually aluminium, zinc, silicon, manganese, copper and zirconium. Since the most outstanding characteristic of magnesium is its density, 1.7 g/cm³, its alloys are used where light weight is an important consideration (e.g., in aircraft components). Magnesium has the lowest melting point (923 K (1,202 °F)) of all the alkaline earth metals. Pure magnesium has an HCP crystal structure, is relatively soft, and has a low elastic modulus: 45 GPa. Magnesium alloys have also a hexagonal lattice structure, which affects the fundamental properties of these alloys. At room temperature, magnesium and its alloys are difficult to perform cold working due to the fact plastic deformation of the hexagonal lattice is more complicated than in cubic latticed metals like aluminium, copper and steel. Therefore, magnesium alloys are typically used as cast alloys. Despite the reactive nature of the pure magnesium powder, magnesium metal and its alloys have good resistance to corrosion.

Aluminium is the most common alloying element. Aluminium, zinc, zirconium, and thorium promote precipitation hardening: manganese improves corrosion resistance; and tin improves castability.

Elektron 21 – UNS M12310

In general, Elektron is the registered trademark of a wide range of magnesium alloys manufactured by a British company Magnesium Elektron Limited. Elektron 21, designated by UNS M12310, is one of alloys with excellent corrosion resistance and castability. Cast products possess a fine-grained microstructure and pressure tightness. This alloy can be easily machined. Application include motorsports and aerospace, since it possess high strength, light weight and it has excellent vibration damping characteristics.

Density of Magnesium Alloys

Density of typical magnesium alloy is 1.8 g/cm³ (Elektron 21).

In comparison to other common materials:

Density of typical aluminium alloy is 2.7 g/cm³ (6061 alloy).

Density of typical titanium alloy is 4.43 g/cm³ (Ti-6Al-4V).

Density of typical stainless steel is 8.0 g/cm³ (AISI 304L).

Density is defined as the mass per unit volume. It is an intensive property, which is mathematically defined as mass divided by volume:

ρ = m/V

In words, the density (ρ) of a substance is the total mass (m) of that substance divided by the total volume (V) occupied by that substance. The standard SI unit is kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³). The Standard English unit is pounds mass per cubic foot (lbm/ft³).

Since the density (ρ) of a substance is the total mass (m) of that substance divided by the total volume (V) occupied by that substance, it is obvious, the density of a substance strongly depends on its atomic mass and also on the atomic number density (N; atoms/cm³),

Atomic Weight. The atomic mass is carried by the atomic nucleus, which occupies only about 10^-12of the total volume of the atom or less, but it contains all the positive charge and at least 99.95% of the total mass of the atom. Therefore it is determined by the mass number (number of protons and neutrons).
Atomic Number Density. The atomic number density (N; atoms/cm³), which is associated with atomic radii, is the number of atoms of a given type per unit volume (V; cm³) of the material. The atomic number density (N; atoms/cm³) of a pure material having atomic or molecular weight (M; grams/mol) and the material density (⍴; gram/cm³) is easily computed from the following equation using Avogadro’s number (N_A = 6.022×10²³ atoms or molecules per mole):
Crystal Structure. Density of crystalline substance is significantly affected by its crystal structure. FCC structure, along with its hexagonal relative (hcp), has the most efficient packing factor (74%). Metals containing FCC structures include austenite, aluminum, copper, lead, silver, gold, nickel, platinum, and thorium.

References:

Materials Science:

U.S. Department of Energy, Material Science. DOE Fundamentals Handbook, Volume 1 and 2. January 1993.
U.S. Department of Energy, Material Science. DOE Fundamentals Handbook, Volume 2 and 2. January 1993.
William D. Callister, David G. Rethwisch. Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction 9th Edition, Wiley; 9 edition (December 4, 2013), ISBN-13: 978-1118324578.
Eberhart, Mark (2003). Why Things Break: Understanding the World by the Way It Comes Apart. Harmony. ISBN 978-1-4000-4760-4.
Gaskell, David R. (1995). Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials (4th ed.). Taylor and Francis Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56032-992-3.
González-Viñas, W. & Mancini, H.L. (2004). An Introduction to Materials Science. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-07097-1.
Ashby, Michael; Hugh Shercliff; David Cebon (2007). Materials: engineering, science, processing and design (1st ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-7506-8391-3.
J. R. Lamarsh, A. J. Baratta, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 3d ed., Prentice-Hall, 2001, ISBN: 0-201-82498-1.

See above:
Magnesium Alloys

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