Aluminum

Aluminium Alloys

Aluminium alloys with a wide range of properties are used in engineering structures. Alloy systems are classified by a number system (ANSI) or by names indicating their main alloying constituents (DIN and ISO). Selecting the right alloy for a given application entails considerations of its tensile strength, density, ductility, formability, workability,weldability, and corrosion resistance, to name a few. Aluminium alloys are used extensively in aircraft due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. On the other hand, pure aluminium metal is much too soft for such uses, and it does not have the high tensile strength that is needed for airplanes and helicopters.

Wrought alloys

The International Alloy Designation System is the most widely accepted naming scheme for wrought alloys. Each alloy is given a four-digit number, where the first digit indicates the major alloying elements.

  • 1000 series are essentially pure aluminium with a minimum 99% aluminium content by weight and can be work hardened.
  • 2000 series are alloyed with copper, can be precipitation hardened to strengths comparable to steel. Formerly referred to as duralumin, they were once the most common aerospace alloys, but were susceptible to stress corrosion cracking and are increasingly replaced by 7000 series in new designs.
  • 3000 series are alloyed with manganese, and can be work hardened.
  • 4000 series are alloyed with silicon. They are also known as silumin.
  • 5000 series are alloyed with magnesium.
  • 6000 series are alloyed with magnesium and silicon, are easy to machine, and can be precipitation hardened, but not to the high strengths that 2000 and 7000 can reach.
  • 7000 series are alloyed with zinc, and can be precipitation hardened to the highest strengths of any aluminium alloy.
  • 8000 series is a category mainly used for lithium alloys.
Wrought Aluminium Alloy Composition Limits (% Weight)
Alloy Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Cr Zn V Ti Bi Ga Pb Zr Limits†† Al
Each Total
1050[7] 0.25 0.40 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.03 99.5 min
1060 0.25 0.35 0.05 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 99.6 min
1100 0.95 Si+Fe 0.05-0.20 0.05 0.10 0.05 0.15 99.0 min
1199[7] 0.006 0.006 0.006 0.002 0.006 0.006 0.005 0.002 0.005 0.002 99.99 min
2014 0.50-1.2 0.7 3.9-5.0 0.40-1.2 0.20-0.8 0.10 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
2024 0.50 0.50 3.8-4.9 0.30-0.9 1.2-1.8 0.10 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
2219 0.2 0.30 5.8-6.8 0.20-0.40 0.02 0.10 0.05-0.15 0.02-0.10 0.10-0.25 0.05 0.15 remainder
3003 0.6 0.7 0.05-0.20 1.0-1.5 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
3004 0.30 0.7 0.25 1.0-1.5 0.8-1.3 0.25 0.05 0.15 remainder
3102 0.40 0.7 0.10 0.05-0.40 0.30 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
4041 4.5-6.0 0.80 0.30 0.05 0.05 0.10 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
5005 remainder
5052 0.25 0.40 0.10 2.2-2.8 0.15-0.35 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
5083 0.40 0.40 0.10 0.40-1.0 4.0-4.9 0.05-0.25 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
5086 0.40 0.50 0.10 0.20-0.7 3.5-4.5 0.05-0.25 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
5154 0.25 0.40 0.10 3.10-3.90 3.5-4.5 0.15-0.35 0.20 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
5356 0.25 0.40 0.10 0.10 4.50-5.50 0.05-0.20 0.10 0.06-0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
5454 0.25 0.40 0.10 0.50-1.0 2.4-3.0 0.05-0.20 0.25 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
5456 0.25 0.40 0.10 0.50-1.0 4.7-5.5 0.05-0.20 0.25 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
5754 0.40 0.40 0.10 0.50 2.6–3.6 0.30 0.20 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
6005 0.6–0.9 0.35 0.10 0.10 0.40–0.6 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
† 0.50–0.9 0.35 0.30 0.50 0.40–0.7 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
6060 0.30–0.6 0.10–0.30 0.10 0.10 0.35–0.6 0.05 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
6061 0.40–0.8 0.7 0.15–0.40 0.15 0.8–1.2 0.04–0.35 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
6063 0.20–0.6 0.35 0.10 0.10 0.45–0.9 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
6066 0.9–1.8 0.50 0.7–1.2 0.6–1.1 0.8–1.4 0.40 0.25 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
6070 1.0–1.7 0.50 0.15–0.40 0.40–1.0 0.50–1.2 0.10 0.25 0.15 0.05 0.15 remainder
6082 0.7–1.3 0.50 0.10 0.40–1.0 0.60–1.2 0.25 0.20 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
6105 0.6–1.0 0.35 0.10 0.10 0.45–0.8 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
6162 0.40–0.8 0.50 0.20 0.10 0.7–1.1 0.10 0.25 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
6262 0.40–0.8 0.7 0.15–0.40 0.15 0.8–1.2 0.04–0.14 0.25 0.15 0.40–0.7 0.40–0.7 0.05 0.15 remainder
6351 0.7–1.3 0.50 0.10 0.40–0.8 0.40–0.8 0.20 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
6463 0.20–0.6 0.15 0.20 0.05 0.45–0.9 0.05 0.05 0.15 remainder
7005 0.35 0.40 0.10 0.20–0.70 1.0–1.8 0.06–0.20 4.0–5.0 0.01–0.06 0.08–0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
7022 0.50 0.50 0.50–1.00 0.10–0.40 2.60–3.70 0.10–0.30 4.30–5.20 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
7068 0–0.12 0–0.15 1.60–2.40 0–0.10 2.20–3.00 0–0.05 7.30–8.30 0–0.01 0.05–0.15 remainder
7072 0.7 Si+Fe 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.8-1.3 0.05 0.15 99.0 min
7075 0.40 0.50 1.2–2.0 0.30 2.1–2.9 0.18–0.28 5.1–6.1 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
7079 0.3 0.40 0.40–0.80 0.10–0.30 2.9–3.7 0.10–0.25 3.8–4.8 0.10 0.05 0.15 remainder
7116 0.15 0.30 0.50–1.1 0.05 0.8–1.4 4.2–5.2 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.15 remainder
7129 0.15 0.30 0.50–0.9 0.10 1.3–2.0 0.10 4.2–5.2 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.05 0.15 remainder
7178 0.40 0.50 1.6–2.4 0.30 2.4–3.1 0.18–0.28 6.3–7.3 0.20 0.05 0.15 remainder
8000 remainder
7178 remainder
†Manganese plus chromium must be between 0.12–0.50%.
††This column lists the limits that apply to all elements, whether a table column exists for them or not, for which no other limits are specified.
Minimum tensile requirements for cast aluminium alloys[8]
Alloy Temper Tensile strength (min) [ksi] ([MPa]) Yield strength (min) [ksi] ([MPa]) Elongation in 2 in [%]
ANSI UNS
201.0 A02010 T7 60.0 (414) 50.0 (345) 3.0
204.0 A02040 T4 45.0 (310) 28.0 (193) 6.0
242.0 A02420 O 23.0 (159) N/A N/A
T61 32.0 (221) 20.0 (138) N/A
A242.0 A12420 T75 29.0 (200) N/A 1.0
295.0 A02950 T4 29.0 (200) 13.0 (90) 6.0
T6 32.0 (221) 20.0 (138) 3.0
T62 36.0 (248) 28.0 (193) N/A
T7 29.0 (200) 16.0 (110) 3.0
319.0 A03190 F 23.0 (159) 13.0 (90) 1.5
T5 25.0 (172) N/A N/A
T6 31.0 (214) 20.0 (138) 1.5
328.0 A03280 F 25.0 (172) 14.0 (97) 1.0
T6 34.0 (234) 21.0 (145) 1.0
355.0 A03550 T6 32.0 (221) 20.0 (138) 2.0
T51 25.0 (172) 18.0 (124) N/A
T71 30.0 (207) 22.0 (152) N/A
C355.0 A33550 T6 36.0 (248) 25.0 (172) 2.5
356.0 A03560 F 19.0 (131) 9.5 (66) 2.0
T6 30.0 (207) 20.0 (138) 3.0
T7 31.0 (214) N/A N/A
T51 23.0 (159) 16.0 (110) N/A
T71 25.0 (172) 18.0 (124) 3.0
A356.0 A13560 T6 34.0 (234) 24.0 (165) 3.5
T61 35.0 (241) 26.0 (179) 1.0
443.0 A04430 F 17.0 (117) 7.0 (48) 3.0
B443.0 A24430 F 17.0 (117) 6.0 (41) 3.0
512.0 A05120 F 17.0 (117) 10.0 (69) N/A
514.0 A05140 F 22.0 (152) 9.0 (62) 6.0
520.0 A05200 T4 42.0 (290) 22.0 (152) 12.0
535.0 A05350 F 35.0 (241) 18.0 (124) 9.0
705.0 A07050 T5 30.0 (207) 17.0 (117)† 5.0
707.0 A07070 T7 37.0 (255) 30.0 (207)† 1.0
710.0 A07100 T5 32.0 (221) 20.0 (138) 2.0
712.0 A07120 T5 34.0 (234) 25.0 (172)† 4.0
713.0 A07130 T5 32.0 (221) 22.0 (152) 3.0
771.0 A07710 T5 42.0 (290) 38.0 (262) 1.5
T51 32.0 (221) 27.0 (186) 3.0
T52 36.0 (248) 30.0 (207) 1.5
T6 42.0 (290) 35.0 (241) 5.0
T71 48.0 (331) 45.0 (310) 5.0
850.0 A08500 T5 16.0 (110) N/A 5.0
851.0 A08510 T5 17.0 (117) N/A 3.0
852.0 A08520 T5 24.0 (165) 18.0 (124) N/A
†Only when requested by the customer