Which is harder to bend, zinc plated steel or aluminum

[meirman]

This seems obvious, but if you don't mind, I wanted to check first. Which is harder to bend for the same thickness, zinc-plated steel or aluminum?

They sell 26 gauge steel at Lowe's, which according to one web page should be .0179 inches thick. The aluminum is .016 inches thick.

Anything much thicker would be too thick to fit.

I thought steel was stiffer, and one page says it is three times as stiff, http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:EUguRlm-7ugJ:

|lang_iw|lang_esbut I found some page on bicycle frames that seemed to claim that aluminmum was, although I guess that is aluminum that is as thick as it must be to be as strong as steel. http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:7DA0YencvJYJ:|lang_iw|lang_esBut another webpage says that current alloys of aluminum are as ?strong? as steel.

I had this small sheet of something, I guess it is aluminum**, and I made a bracket for a cup holder for my cup-holderless car.

**It conducts electricity, but isn't attracted to a magent. It's silver color and came out of a stereo amp or something. 6" x 8" I don't remember what it did there.

Thanks.

Meirman

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[Edwin Pawlowski]

Other factors come into play. Temper, heat treating, and alloys. Aluminum can be made dead soft and easy to bend or can be rather springy. I'm not a metallurgist so I'll stop here.

[Frank Boettcher]

Depends on the alloy for both and then with regard to bending or resistance to bending you need to know the specific tensile strength and yield strength.

I would venture to say if you are buying sheet material from Lowes, aluminum would be the easiest to bend, but in those thicknesses neither would be a chore. However, if you need strength after the bend (ability to not loose the new shape) the steel may be better.

[Joseph Meehan]

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:EUguRlm-7ugJ:

|lang_iw|lang_es> but I found some page on bicycle frames that seemed to claim that

Aluminum and steel bike frames are designed far different. They are not talking about the material, but rather the finished product so it does not apply to you.

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:7DA0YencvJYJ:

|lang_iw|lang_es> But another webpage says that current alloys of aluminum are as