The OnlineMetals Guide to Aluminum Next to steel, Aluminum is the most commonly used and commercially available metal. Its light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio make it a good choice for everything from aircraft to flashlights to jigs to just about anything else you can make out of metal. Pure aluminum, primarily seen in the 1xxx series of wrought aluminum alloys, has little strength, but possesses high electrical conductivity, reflectivity, and corrosion resistance. For this reason, a wide variety of aluminum alloys have been developed. OnlineMetals currently stocks eight alloys of aluminum in various shapes and sizes: 2011 Aluminum (available in Hex, Round) 2024 Aluminum (available in Hex, Plate, Rectangle, Round, Sheet, Square, Tube) 5052 Aluminum (available in Sheet) 6061 Aluminum (available in Angle, Channel, Hex, I-Beam, Pipe, Plate, Rectangle, Rectangle Tube, Round, Sheet, Square, Square Tube, Tube) 6063 Aluminum (available in Angle, Channel, Pipe, Rectangle, Rectangle Tube, Round, Square Tube, Tube) 6101 Aluminum (available in Pipe, Rectangle) 6262 Aluminum (available in Hex, Round) 7075 Aluminum (available in Hex, Plate, Rectangle, Round, Sheet, Square) 2011 Aluminum 2011 is the most machinable of the commonly available aluminum alloys. Machining this alloy can produce excellent surface finishes on your product, and small, broken chips. Weldability, strength, and anodizing response are all rated as average at best, and this alloy does not have a high degree of corrosion resistance. If the ability to make your part quickly is important to you, and strength is not the primary desire, 2011 represents a good choice if youre using aluminum. 2011-T3 Aluminum Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 55,000 Yield Strength, psi 43,000 Brinell Hardness 95 Rockwell Hardness B60 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 91.2 - 94.6% Bismuth (Bi) 0.2 - 0.6% Copper (Cu) 5.0 - 6.0% Iron (Fe) 0.7% max Magnesium (Mg) 2.1 - 2.9% Lead (Pb) 0.2 - 0.6% Silicon (Si) 0.4% max 2024 Aluminum Copper is the main alloying ingredient in 2024. It is very strong compared to most aluminum alloys, and has average machinability, but the copper component of this alloy makes it susceptible to corrosion (many items in this alloy are produced with a clad surface to protect the underlying material.) In addition, 2024 is not considered to be weldable. Finally, the fatigue resistance of 2024 make it a primary choice when the application is expected to be under stress or strain for prolonged periods. It is commonly used in aerospace applications. 2024-T3 Aluminum Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 70,000 Yield Strength, psi 50,000 Brinell Hardness 120 Rockwell Hardness B75 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 90.7 - 94.7% Chromium (Cr) 0.1% max Copper (Cu) 3.8 - 4.9% Iron (Fe) 0.5% max Magnesium (Mg) 1.2 - 1.8% Manganese (Mn) 0.3 - 0.9% Silicon (Si) 0.5% max 5052 Aluminum 5052 is the alloy most suited to forming operations, with good workability and higher strength than that of the 1100 or 3003 alloys that are commercially available. 5052 is not heat-treatable, but is stronger than most of the 5xxx series of alloys. It has very good corrosion resistance, and can be easily welded. 5052 is not a good choice for extensive machining operations, as it has only a fair machinability rating. 5052-H32 Aluminum Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 33,000 Yield Strength, psi 28,000 Brinell Hardness 60 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 95.7 - 97.7% Chromium (Cr) 0.15 - 0.35% Copper (Cu) 0.1% max Iron (Fe) 0.4% max Magnesium (Mg) 2.2 - 2.8% Manganese (Mn) 0.1% max Silicon (Si) 0.25% max 6061 Aluminum 6061 Aluminum is, by most any measure, the most commonly used aluminum alloy. It is specified in most any application due to its strength, heat treatability, comparatively easy machining, and weldability. If that were not enough, it is also capable of being anodized, adding a layer of protection for finished parts. The main alloy ingredients of 6061 aluminum are magnesium and silicon. 6061-T6 Aluminum Physical and Mechanical Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 45,000 Yield Strength, psi 40,000 Brinell Hardness 95 Rockwell Hardness B60 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 95.8 - 98.6% Chromium (Cr) 0.04 - 0.35% Copper (Cu) 0.15 - 0.40% Iron (Fe) 0.70% Magnesium (Mg) 0.8 - 1.2% Manganese (Mn) 0.15% max Silicon (Si) 0.4 - 0.8% Zinc (Zn) 0.25% 6063 Aluminum 6063 is often called architectural aluminum for two reasons - first, it has a surface finish that is far smoother than the other commercially available alloys, and second, its strength is significantly less (roughly half the strength of 6061), making it suited for applications where strength is not the foremost consideration. 6063 is rated as Good for forming and cold working operations, Excellent for anodizing, and Fair for machining. 6063-T52 Aluminum Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 27,000 Yield Strength, psi 21,000 Brinell Hardness 60 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 97.5% max Chromium (Cr) 0.1% max Copper (Cu) 0.1% max Iron (Fe) 0.35% max Magnesium (Mg) 0.45 - 0.90% Manganese (Mn) 0.1% max Silicon (Si) 0.2 - 0.6% 6101 Aluminum 6101 is best suited for applications involving moderate strength and maximum electrical conductivity. It is similar to alloy 6063, but with minor chemistry changes which enhance electrical conductivity. Although slightly lower in conductivity than alloy 1350, it offers greater strength. Its most typical application is bus bar. 6101-T6 Aluminum Physical and Mechanical Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 32,000 Yield Strength, psi 28,000 Brinell Hardness 71 Electrical Conductivity 57% IACS Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 97.6% Chromium (Cr) 0.03% Copper (Cu) 0.10% Iron (Fe) 0.50% Magnesium (Mg) 0.35 - 0.80% Manganese (Mn) 0.03% max Silicon (Si) 0.3 - 0.7% Boron (Si) 0.06% 6262 Aluminum 6262 was designed as an aluminum alloy for operations where significant machining is required. It contains lead and bismuth to help with chip creation and breakage, as well as to partially lubricate the cutting tool. It is generally regarded as having good strength and corrosion resistance. Finished parts can be produced with a high level of polishing. 6262-T6511 Aluminum Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 31,900 Yield Strength, psi 27,600 Brinell Hardness 71 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 94.6 - 97.8% Chromium (Cr) 0.04 - 0.14% Copper (Cu) 0.15 - 0.40% Iron (Fe) 0.7% max Magnesium (Mg) 0.8 - 1.2% Manganese (Mn) 0.15% Max Bismuth (Bi) 0.4 - 0.7% Silicon (Si) 0.4 - 0.8% Lead (Pb) 0.4 - 0.7% 7075 Aluminum 7075 is the other aircraft grade aluminum that is carried by OnlineMetals. Its principal alloying ingredients are zinc and copper, which make it one of the highest-strength aluminum alloys that are available. In fact, its typical strength in the T6 temper is higher than most mild steels. 7075 also has average-to-good ratings for machinability, corrosion resistance, and anodizing response. Like 2024, however, it is not considered to be weldable. 7075-T6 Aluminum Physical and Mechanical Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 83,000 Yield Strength, psi 73,000 Brinell Hardness 150 Rockwell Hardness B87 Chemistry Aluminum (Al) 87.1 - 91.4% Zinc (Zn) 5.1 - 6.1% max Copper (Cu) 1.2 - 2.0% Chromium (Cr) 0.18 - 0.28% Iron (Fe) 0.5 max Magnesium (Mg) 2.1 - 2.9% Manganese (Mn) 0.3% max At OnlineMetals, we all failed shop class. Multiple times. As a matter of fact, our employment applications specifically ask to see peoples grades for their high school shop classes. If theyre too high, they go into the rejected pile. Were also not engineers, and cannot make any specific recommendations about the suitability of a given alloy, temper, or shape for your project or application. All technical data is for comparison purposes only and is NOT FOR DESIGN. It has been compiled from sources we believe to be accurate but cannot guarantee. This ends the part of the website that our pointy-headed lawyers made us put in. Phone-in Orders Welcome! Phone: (800) 704-2157 OR (206) 285-8603 Fax: (206) 285-7836 E-mail sales@onlinemetals Contact Us Mailing Address: 1138 West Ewing Seattle, WA 98119
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 06:20:12 +0000
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