Metal Specifications

There are many different ferrous and non-ferrous metals and their alloys and consequently it is not easy to structure metal specifications in a uniformed way.

Metal specifications are often defined by standards, which may specify metal products, delivery conditions and the properties of metals in their own, specific way.

Many ferrous and non ferrous materials from around the world are grouped on the basis of chemical composition or mechanical properties, and sometimes on the basis of delivery conditions, such as flat products, bars or pipes. It is important to bear in mind that most of the metal specifications are complex documents that cannot be condensed into a single line of text.

In the United States, widely used metal specifications are those published by ASTM; these metal specifications represent a consensus drawn from producers, fabricators and users of metal products.

Many of the ASTM specifications have been adopted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) with slight or no modifications. ASME uses the prefix S with the ASTM specifications; for example, ASME SA 249 and ASTM A 249 are the same. Also, SAE often uses ASTM specifications for defining the properties of bars, wires, and other products.

Euronorom (abbreviation EN) is a harmonized standardization system of European countries. Although it is accepted and being effectively used in all European countries, metal specifications according to “obsolete” national systems, such as German DIN, British BS, French AFNOR and Italian UNI can still often be found in many documents.

Japanese JIS standard specifications are developed by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) in Tokyo. This is a well elaborated system, which has often been used in Asia and the Pacific area as a base for other national systems for metal specifications, such as Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese.

Other widely used metal specifications include those issued by The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as Russian GOST, which is practically the de facto standard for the whole Community of Independent States.



The Total Materia database brings global metal properties together into one integrated and searchable database. Quick and easy access to the mechanical properties, chemical composition, cross-reference tables, and more provide users with an unprecedented wealth of information. Click the button below to test drive the Total Materia database.

Metal Specifications in Total Materia

The Total Materia database includes more than 350 000 steel grades from all over the world. Their chemical compositions, mechanical and physical properties, cross-references and more are only a click away.

Finding a steel grade in the database is very easy and takes seconds. For example, let’s look into the properties of steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B according to USA/SAE.

Simply use Quick Search at the Subscribers Home page, enter the designation and select SAE from the standard list.

Metal specifications: Search for the USA/SAE steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B

After clicking on the material, a list of subgroups appears. In Total Materia, the term “subgroups” refers to specifications that define properties of the steel grade; in this case the specification SAE J 2515 is selected. Note that properties defined according to different specifications may differ significantly.

Metal Specification: List of specifications that define properties of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B

Composition, cross-references and properties of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B can then be reviewed by clicking appropriate links. See examples below.

Metal Specification: Chemical composition of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B
Metal Specification: Cross-reference table of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B
Metal Specification: Mechanical properties of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B
Metal Specification: Physical properties of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B
Metal Specification: Properties of the steel grade Si-Mo Ductile Grade B on elevated temperatures