MetalStrengthandStiffness:WhatstheDifference?

By Chris Burnett https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/author/christopherburnettthermofishercom/

03.22.2016

The steel industry is one of the largest in the world and is integral to numerous
adjacent industries such as construction, transportation, energy, and
manufacturing. Steel is widelyused for its strength, but it must also meet certain
requirements for stiffness, depending on the end product it is used to make. The
terms stiffness and strength are often confused; an article on thefabricator.com
http://www.thefabricator.com/article/metalsmaterials/thedifferencesbetween
stiffnessandstrengthinmetal explains the difference:
Strength: Strength is a measure of the stress that can be applied to a material
before it permanently deforms yield strength or breaks tensile strength. If
the applied stress is less than the yield strength, the material returns to its
original shape when the stress is removed. If the applied stress exceeds the
yield strength, plastic or permanent deformation occurs, and the material can
no longer return to its original shape once the load is removed.
Stiffness: Stiffness relates to how a component bends under load while still returning to its original shape once the load is
removed. Since the component dimensions are unchanged after load is removed, stiffness is associated with elastic deformation.
A material can have high strength and low stiffness. If a metal cracks easily, it has low strength, but if it has low stiffness, it can deflect a
high load. The article explains that stiffness depends on the modulus of elasticity, also known as Youngs Modulus, which is constant for
a given metal. Because Youngs Modulus for steel is three times that of aluminum, an aluminum part under load will deflect three times
as much as a similarly loaded steel part. The thickness and shape of the formed part also contributes to its stiffness.
All steel has approximately the same stiffness, but comes in many different strengths depending on the alloying metals used. Stainless
steel comes in more than 100 grades which are created by adding alloys such as chromium, silicon, nickel, carbon, nitrogen, and
manganese to impart properties such as heat resistance, strength, flexibility, and ductility. Martensitic
http://https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/infographicmartensiticstainlesssteels/ or semiaustenitic
https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/infographicausteniticstainlesssteels/ steels are the strongest due to the addition of
elements such as aluminum, copper and niobium.
As an example of the importance of differentiating between strength and stiffness, consider the Corporate Average Fuel Economy
CAFE standards. Car manufacturers are meeting CAFE requirements by using lighterweight, higherstrength steel components that
provide improved fuel economy. These new steel grades, called advanced highstrength steels AHSS, make the car body structures
stronger but lighter in weight. Car manufacturers are also considering the less stiff aluminum as a lighter weight alternative to steel. In
the event of a crash, strength is obviously a critical safety consideration in car components, but so is stiffness depending on the function
of the car body part. If a steel part on a car is replaced with an identical shape, thickness aluminum part, it may deflect more due to its
lower stiffness.This could be an issue if a part sags and rubs against another part. However, adjusting the design shape, thickness of
the aluminum part, it is possible to obtain the strength and stiffness needed, while lowering the mass of the part.
Steel starts out as flat sheet metal or plates and must be manufactured to precise thickness specifications depending on the application
for which it is used. It must also be easily machinable so that it can be formed into its permanent shape without cracking. While strength
is an advantage in many applications, adding strengthening alloys may contribute poor machinability, meaning the material is difficult
to cut and wears down the tooling. Accurate thickness measurement of processline steel ensures the finished products have specific
mechanical properties, including the appropriate strength and stiffness for their application. An excellent way to accomplish this is by
processing the material through acold rolling mill http://www.thermoscientific.com/en/product/noncontactthicknessgaugescold
rollingprocesslines.html. Cold rolling is a metal forming process in which a sheet of metal is pressed through a pair of rolls to reduce
thickness, increase strength and improve surface finish.

Recommended reading to learn more about manufacturing and processing steel to meet strength and stiffness requirements:
Xraybased Sensor System Enhances ProcessLine Steel Operations https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/xray
basedsensorsystemenhancesprocesslinesteeloperations/
ColdFormed Steel Shakes Up Building Construction https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/coldformedsteelshakes
upbuildingconstruction/
What is Stainless Steel? Part I https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/whatisstainlesssteelparti/
What is Stainless Steel? Part II https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/whatisstainlesssteelpartii/

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The Roller Coaster Thrill Provided by

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Comments

Zequek Estrada http://www.hvacyukon.ca/en/contracting.html says

July 14, 2016 at 10:35 pm https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/metalstrengthandstiffnesswhatsthedifference/#comment690

Words like strength and stiffness are so similar that it seems easy to not know the difference. Unless people are in the steel industry, Id doubt that they
would know the difference. Its pretty interesting thinking about how the terminology changes depending on the industry.
Reply https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/metalstrengthandstiffnesswhatsthedifference/?replytocom=690#respond

Marlene GasdiaCochrane says

August 5, 2016 at 6:10 pm https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/metalstrengthandstiffnesswhatsthe
difference/#comment949
Thanks for your comment Zequek. Feel free to ask us about any other terminology in the metals analysis industry.
Reply https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/metals/metalstrengthandstiffnesswhatsthedifference/?replytocom=949#respond

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