Why materialref.com?
The engineering material reference that should have existed years ago.
The problem
Engineers, buyers, and quality managers spend 20+ minutes per material lookup — digging through PDFs, spreadsheets, and outdated databases to answer one simple question: "Is 42CrMo4 the same as AISI 4140?"
Existing resources are scattered across dozens of websites, often behind paywalls, riddled with ads, or showing unverified data without proper source attribution. Some haven't been updated in years.
Our solution
One platform. All equivalents. materialref.com gives you instant access to cross-standard material comparisons — EN, ASTM, JIS, GB, GOST, and more — with composition overlap analysis, mechanical properties, and export-ready PDF reports.
- Free equivalents table for every material — no paywall on basic data
- Side-by-side composition comparison with overlap analysis
- Mechanical properties and heat treatment parameters (PRO)
- Engineering calculators: hardness, weight, CEV, unit conversion
- REST API for integration into your own systems
- PDF data sheets for QM documentation
How we verify data
Every material entry on materialref.com goes through a structured verification process before publication:
Primary source extraction
Composition ranges, property values, and heat treatment parameters are extracted from the relevant standard document (e.g., EN 10083-3, ASTM A29/A29M, JIS G 4053).
Cross-reference validation
Each data point is verified against at least two independent sources — typically the original standard plus a recognized materials database or handbook (e.g., Stahlschl\u00FCssel, ASM International, MatWeb).
Equivalence matching
Equivalent grades are matched based on composition overlap analysis, not just naming conventions. We calculate element-by-element range overlap and assign match percentages accordingly.
Ongoing review
When standards are revised, affected entries are flagged and re-verified. The data_version field tracks the number of review cycles for each material.
Independent & neutral
materialref.com is not affiliated with any material supplier, manufacturer, or trading company. We don't sell steel. We don't earn commissions on material purchases. Our revenue comes exclusively from subscriptions and API access.
This means our data is never biased toward a specific supplier's product line. Every grade is treated equally, based solely on its specification data.
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