Density of Common Metals and Alloys

This article presents tables to detail the density, property and application of common metals and alloys for your references.

What is Density?

Density is a fundamental property of matter that measures how much mass is packed into a given volume of a substance.

It indicates how tightly atoms or molecules are arranged in a material. The formula to calculate density is:

In simpler terms, density is the amount of mass per unit volume. Denser materials have more mass packed into a smaller space, while less dense materials are more spread out.

Unit of Density

The most common unit for measuring density is grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) or kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³), depending on the system being used:

• In the metric system, density is often expressed in g/cm³ or kg/m³.

• In the Imperial system, it may be expressed as pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³). For most metals, density is typically represented in g/cm³ because it's a convenient unit for solid materials.

Factors Influencing Density

Several factors can influence the density of a material:

Atomic Mass: the heavier atoms, the higher density.

Materials made of heavier atoms tend to have higher densities. For example, gold (Au) atoms are much heavier than aluminum (Al) atoms, so gold is denser.

Atomic Packing Structure: the tighter, the denser.

The way atoms are arranged in a material also affects its density. Materials with tightly packed atomic structures (such as metals with face-centered cubic (FCC) structures) are generally denser.

Temperature: the higher temperature, the higher density.

As temperature increases, most materials expand, increasing their volume and decreasing their density. Conversely, cooling a material usually increases its density.

Pressure: minimal change in density unless under very high pressure

In general, increasing pressure increases density, while decreasing pressure decreases density. This relationship is more pronounced in gases but also applies to solids and liquids under certain conditions.

Incompressibility: Liquids and solids are much less compressible than gases. This means that under normal pressures, their density changes very little when pressure is applied.

Extreme Pressure: At extremely high pressures, even solids and liquids can experience a slight increase in density, as the atoms or molecules are forced closer together.

To help you better understand the influence of pressure, we have provided an example of the density change of solid aluminum under different pressure values.

As we can see from the graph here, the density of aluminum rarely increases when the pressure is under 10000 Kpa, or 10Gpa, and undergoes significant volume changes in the range of several GPa to tens of GPa.

Density of Common Metals

Here’s a breakdown of the densities of some common metals.

In summary, among the above 10 mentioned metals, Aluminum is the lightest and Gold is the heaviest under the same conditions.

Density of Common Alloys

Alloys are mixtures of two or more metals, and their density depends on the density and amount of each metal used.

Usually, if a base metal is mixed with a denser metal, the alloy will likely be heavier, or has higher density, and if it's mixed with a lighter metal, the alloy will be lighter, or has lower density.

In terms of the added amount, the more of the low-density material you add, the more it "pulls down" the overall density of the alloy. Similarly, if a higher-density metal is added in larger proportions, it will increase the overall density.

Here we have draw a chart to help you understand better.

*Note: The values and the rate of increase in this chart hold no reference value and are solely intended to assist in illustrating the growth trend of the curve.

The following table presents the details of some common alloys.

To find the density value of more metals and alloys, please refer to the article: Density of metal and alloys.

Metals and Alloys Used in 3D Printing

Except for the applications like automotive, aerospace, and tooling etc. mentioned above, metals and alloys are also widely applied in 3D Printing.

Metal 3D printing, has become increasingly popular in industries such as aerospace, medical, and automotive due to its ability to produce strong, lightweight, and geometrically intricate parts. Here we have listed the commonly-used metals and alloys in 3d printing for your reference.

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• Expertise: Over 20 years of experience in 3D printing, backed by a fleet of 100 3D printers.

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FAQs

Which metal has the highest density?

Osmium (22.59 g/cm³) is a bluish-white metal and the densest naturally occurring element. It’s extremely hard and has a high melting point.

Due to its density and corrosion resistance, it’s used in applications like fountain pen tips, electrical contacts, and alloys for extreme wear resistance.

Which metal is the lowest density?

Under standard conditions, Lithium (0.534 g/cm³) is the lightest metal and has important applications in rechargeable batteries (such as in smartphones and electric vehicles).

It’s highly reactive, so it's usually stored in mineral oil. Lithium also has a high electrochemical potential, making it ideal for energy storage solutions.

What are the top 5 lightest metals?

*Strength-to-weight Ratio: This ratio shows how strong a metal is compared to its weight. A higher number means the metal is stronger without being too heavy, making it good for things that need to be strong but light.

What metal is strong but light?

Titanium (4.5 g/cm³) is known for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio.

It’s much lighter than steel but just as strong, making it a popular choice in industries like aerospace, medical devices (like implants), and sports equipment. Titanium is also highly resistant to corrosion, even in extreme environments like seawater.