How Much Weight to Remove for Aluminum to Steel

Why Steel Continues to be Used Extensively

• Steel is the common name for several iron alloys. These alloys can be worked into shape by stamping or hammering. Certain elements – such as copper, carbon, manganese, nickel or cobalt – can be added to iron during the heating process to make the alloy harder or more rust resistant depending on how the alloy is to be used. Steel is used in applications where strength is one of the primary concerns, such as in bridge spans, tools or automotive frames.

Weight Considerations of Aluminum vs. Steel

• While steel is known for its strength, it is also known for being very heavy. For this reason, steel cannot be used in all applications requiring a metal frame or shell. In this situation, a lighter metal such as aluminum may be used as a steel substitute. Aluminum alloy has a lower density (2.73 grams per cubic centimeter) than steel (7.86 grams per cubic centimeter), meaning that for any given volume, steel will weigh almost three times what aluminum will weigh.

Strength Considerations of Aluminum vs. Steel

• While aluminum is very strong for its density, it is not as strong as an equivalent volume of steel. In the automotive industry, aluminum has been substituted for steel – but not at a one-to-one replacement ratio. For parts designed to be rigid, aluminum alloy components with a weight of 1 kilograms are used to replace steel components that weigh between 1.66 and 1.87 kilograms. Automotive parts requiring high strength – such as the automobile chassis or engine cylinder blocks – often use 1 kilograms of aluminum alloy to replace 2 kilograms of steel.

How Much Aluminum Would Be Needed to Replace Steel

• Based upon these strength considerations, a piece of steel weighing 1 kilograms is as strong as an equivalently sized piece of aluminum alloy weighing 1.73 kilograms. If you compare the two materials by weight, a piece of aluminum alloy weighing 4.72 grams is as strong as a piece of steel weighing 7.86 grams.