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David
David

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I built an open cross-reference dataset for 217 global steel grades so engineers stop guessing "is that equivalent?"

#python #data

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If you've ever received a spec that says ASTM A36 while your supplier quotes S275JR, you know the moment of dread: are these actually equivalent, or am I about to spec the wrong material into a load-bearing structure?

Most engineers resolve this with a bookmark tab open to five different standards lookup sites, a PDF from 2009, and a prayer. It's slow, error-prone, and the "winner" is usually whichever site ranks first — not whichever grade is chemically and mechanically right for the job.

I got tired of it, so I built a dataset.

What I actually built

A cross-reference database of 217 steel and alloy grades, each normalized against five standards systems: ASTM, EN (European Norm), JIS, GB (Chinese), and IS (Indian).

For every grade you get:

  • Yield strength and tensile strength
  • Density and the standardized designation
  • Up to 5 international equivalents across different standards systems
  • Chemical composition and physical properties on the detail page

It's not a static sheet — every grade has its own rendered detail page, and related grades are cross-linked. You can land on a material, jump to its international equivalents, and compare any two side by side.

The part I'm most proud of: the comparisons

A dataset of raw numbers is only useful if you can actually weigh the difference. So I built a material comparison engine that renders side-by-side mechanical properties, chemical composition, and international equivalents for any two grades — plus a full steel grade comparison guide to navigate the standards maze.

The practical questions engineers actually Google — answered with data, not vibes:

  • 304 vs 316L stainless steel: when does the molybdenum premium actually pay off for chloride exposure?
  • Inconel 625 vs 718: corrosion workhorse vs aged high-strength turbine alloy — they cost the same, so price is not the tiebreaker.
  • 6061 vs 7075 aluminum: weldable workhorse vs high-strength aerospace grade — and why the 45% weight win usually justifies the cost.
  • ASTM A36 vs A572: when does the 38% higher yield strength actually pay for itself against the per-kg premium?

Each comparison includes a Quick Verdict (which to pick and why), a decision checklist, and — the thing I couldn't find anywhere else — a price-per-kg comparison so you can see whether the engineering choice and the budget math align.

Where the data lives

The dataset is available as a machine-readable file so you can pull it into your own tooling:

A few honest caveats

  • This dataset is for reference and cross-checking, not a substitute for a Mill Test Report (MTR) or a licensed engineer's sign-off.
  • Steel grades that appear equivalent on strength often differ on impact toughness, weldability, or corrosion behavior — that's exactly why the comparison pages exist.
  • Standards get updated; always verify against the latest published revision before a procurement decision.

If you do procurement, design, or fabrication work and you're tired of the "which standard is equivalent" guessing game, give the dataset a spin and let me know if there's a grade or comparison you want added.

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