Steel is the most widely used metal in the world today and offers a great balance of material properties at a good cost. But when steel, at a density of 7.8g/cm³, is too heavy for the application, product designers must turn to one of the lighter materials available. While many plastics are available to lighten the load, lightweight metals are a popular and sturdy choice.
1 Titanium – 42% lighter than steel
As an alloy, titanium is the strongest metal on this list by far. It also has excellent corrosion resistance, performs well at high temperatures, and works well for implants thanks to its high biocompatibility. But it does come with a few drawbacks.
Titanium is the heaviest of the three lightweight metals on our list at 4.51g/cm³. It’s also the most expensive and the most challenging to machine. As a result, titanium is often reserved for more demanding applications that require a more robust material.
Common applications for titanium can include:
Chemical processing equipment that requires a high chemical resistance.
Long-lasting medical implants, devices, and prosthetics.
Strong and lightweight aerospace components
Corrosion-resistant marine and military equipment
2 Aluminum – 65% lighter than steel
At nearly a third the weight of steel (2.70g/cm³), aluminum is the most widely used non-ferrous metal in the world. Aluminum offers great corrosion resistance, and some alloys can offer strength that approaches that of carbon steel. Despite being more costly than steel, aluminum is cheaper than both magnesium and titanium.
Aluminum offers very high formability and machinability, good weldability, and high ductility. It has both high thermal and electrical conductivity. Despite this, it is susceptible to wear, has a lower strength-to-weight ratio than titanium,
Since it is so widely used, aluminum has a vast number of applications, some of which include:
Electronics components and electrical wiring.
Heat sinks for efficient heating and cooling
Aircraft fuselages and numerous other aerospace components
Durable, cost-effective consumer products like furniture and cookware.
Architectural elements, such as railings and siding
Cast aluminum and extruded aluminum automotive parts
3 Magnesium – 77% lighter than steel
More expensive than aluminum, but cheaper than titanium alloys, magnesium is used as the base for the lightest structural alloys around. Magnesium on its own is vulnerable to corrosion and chemical degradation, and it also offers a lower strength than the other metals in this article. However, modern magnesium alloys and coating techniques are helping to improve the strength and durability of magnesium products.
Magnesium offers high machinability but is generally only machined by specialist shops willing to accept the danger of highly combustible magnesium dust. It also offers a unique damping ability that makes it useful for mitigating vibrations on sensitive equipment. Most magnesium applications are geared toward taking advantage of its extremely light weight (1.74g/cm³), including:
Components of consumer products like luggage, ladders, and cameras
High-performance sporting and recreational equipment, like bicycle frames
Weight-reducing parts in military gear and equipment
Performance automotive parts, like magnesium alloy wheels and gearboxes
How to choose the best lightweight metal:
These are the three metals discussed in this article, all of which are great ways to reduce weight for your products.
Titanium offers excellent durability, but is expensive and challenging to work with.
Magnesium is incredibly lightweight and when alloyed with other elements it can create a stronger metal but still improve performance.
Aluminum is the most cost effective and commonly used non-ferrous alloy, providing very good durability for a large number of applications.
Our machine shop offers specialist CNC machining services for titanium and aluminum alloy products as well as a wide range of other metal materials.
If you are looking to manufacture lightweight products and need to work with a cost effective, quality focused supplier, please contact our company today.
Post time: Mar-08-2023
