Introduction to Aluminum Alloys and Tempers

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© 2000 ASM International. All Rights Reserved. Introduction to Aluminum Alloys and Tempers (#06180)

www.asminternational.org

Introduction to Aluminum Alloys and Tempers

J. Gilbert Kaufman

ASM International® Materials Park, OH 44073-0002 www.asminternational.org


www.asminternational.org Copyright © 2000 by ASM International® All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright owner. First printing, November 2000

Great care is taken in the compilation and production of this Volume, but it should be made clear that NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE GIVEN IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PUBLICATION. Although this information is believed to be accurate by ASM, ASM cannot guarantee that favorable results will be obtained from the use of this publication alone. This publication is intended for use by persons having technical skill, at their sole discretion and risk. Since the conditions of product or material use are outside of ASM’s control, ASM assumes no liability or obligation in connection with any use of this information. No claim of any kind, whether as to products or information in this publication, and whether or not based on negligence, shall be greater in amount than the purchase price of this product or publication in respect of which damages are claimed. THE REMEDY HEREBY PROVIDED SHALL BE THE EXCLUSIVE AND SOLE REMEDY OF BUYER, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHETHER OR NOT CAUSED BY OR RESULTING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF SUCH PARTY. As with any material, evaluation of the material under end-use conditions prior to specification is essential. Therefore, specific testing under actual conditions is recommended. Nothing contained in this book shall be construed as a grant of any right of manufacture, sale, use, or reproduction, in connection with any method, process, apparatus, product, composition, or system, whether or not covered by letters patent, copyright, or trademark, and nothing contained in this book shall be construed as a defense against any alleged infringement of letters patent, copyright, or trademark, or as a defense against liability for such infringement. Comments, criticisms, and suggestions are invited, and should be forwarded to ASM International. ASM International staff who worked on this project included Veronica Flint, Manager, Book Acquisitions; Bonnie Sanders, Manager, Production; Carol Terman, Copy Editor; Kathy Dragolich, Production Supervisor; and Scott Henry, Assistant Director, Reference Publications. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kaufman, J. G. (John Gilbert), 1931Introducton to aluminum alloys and tempers / J. Gilbert Kaufman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Aluminum alloys. 2. Metals—Heat treatment. I. Title. TA480.A6 K36 2000 620.1’86—dc21 00-056544 ISBN 0-87170-689-X SAN: 204-7586 ASM International® Materials Park, OH 44073-0002 http://www.asminternational.org Printed in the United States of America



Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii CHAPTER 1: Introduction: The Nature of the Problem . . . . . . . 1 The Keys to Understanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Characteristics of Wrought Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . Characteristics of Cast Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Definitions for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . Applications of Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microscopy of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . Units and Unit Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

.2 .3 .5 .5 .7 .7 .7

CHAPTER 2: Aluminum Alloy and Temper Designation Systems of the Aluminum Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Wrought Aluminum Alloy Designation System . . . . . . . . . . . Cast Aluminum Alloys Designation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . Designations for Experimental Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . Aluminum Alloy Temper Designation System . . . . . . . . . . . . Basic Temper Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subdivisions of the Basic Tempers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. 10 . 11 . 16 . 16 . 16 . 17 . 22

CHAPTER 3: Understanding Wrought and Cast Aluminum Alloys Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Wrought Alloy Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How the System is Applied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Principal Alloying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understanding Wrought Alloy Strengthening Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understanding Wrought Alloy Advantages and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Characteristics Related to Principal Alloying Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understanding Wrought Alloy Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . Links to Earlier Alloy Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unified Numbering System (UNS) Alloy Designation System for Wrought Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Cast Alloy Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

. . . 23 . . . 23 . . . 25 . . . 25 . . . 26 . . . 28 . . . 30 . . . 31 . . . 31 . . . 32



How the Current Aluminum Cast Alloy Designation System is Applied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understanding Cast Alloy Strengthening Mechanisms . . . . . . Understanding Cast Alloy Advantages and Limitations . . . . . Examples of the Use of Variations in Cast Alloy Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alloys for Different Casting Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Characteristics Related to Composition . . . . . . . . . . . Evolution of the Aluminum Cast Alloy Designation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UNS Alloy Designation System for Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . .

. 32 . 33 . 34 . 35 . 35 . 35 . 35 . 36

CHAPTER 4: Understanding the Aluminum Temper Designation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Tempers for Wrought Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Review of the Basic Tempers for Wrought Alloys . . . . . . . . Subdivisions of the Basic Tempers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tempers Designating Residual Stress Relief of Heat Treated Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Temper Designations Identifying Modifications in Quenching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Designations Indicating Heat Treatment by User . . . . . . . . . Tempers Identifying Additional Cold Work between Quenching and Aging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tempers Identifying Additional Cold Work Following Aging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tempers Designating Special Corrosion-Resistant Tempers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Temper Designation for Special or Premium Properties . . . . . Tempers for Cast Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Review of the Basic Tempers for Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . Subdivisions of the Basic Temper Types for Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importance to Understanding Aluminum Tempers . . . . . . . . . .

. 39 . 57 . 60 . 67 . 68 . 68 . 70 . 70 . 71 . 71 . 73 . 73 . 74 . 76

CHAPTER 5: Understanding Aluminum Fabricating Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Ingot and Billet Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strip and Slab Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hot and Cold Rolling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extrusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cast Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Permanent Mold Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sand Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

. 77 . 78 . 78 . 79 . 79 . 80 . 80 . 81



Investment Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Die Casting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Combinations of Casting and Forging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . .

. 82 . 83 . 84 . 84

CHAPTER 6: Applications for Aluminum Alloys and Tempers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Applications by Alloy Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Wrought Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Applications by Market Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Electrical Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Building and Construction Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Transportation Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Marine Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Rail Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Packaging Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Petroleum and Chemical Industry Components . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Other Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 CHAPTER 7: Representative Micrographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Wrought Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welded Wrought Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazed Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cast Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welded Cast Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welded Wrought-To-Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welded Aluminum To Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Welded Aluminum to Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .

. 120 . 153 . 162 . 164 . 181 . 182 . 184 . 184

CHAPTER 8: Selected References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Subject Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Alloy Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Cast Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Wrought Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248

v



ASM International Technical Books Committee (1999-2000) Sunniva R. Collins (Chair) Swagelok/Nupro Company Eugen Abramovici Bombadier Aerospace (Canadair) A.S Brar Seagate Technology Inc. Ngai Mun Chow Det Norske Veritas Pte Ltd. Seetharama C. Deevi Phillip Morris, USA Bradley J. Diak Queen’s University Dov B. Goldman Precision World Products James F.R. Grochmal Metallurgical Perspectives Nguyen P. Hung Nanyang Technological University Serope Kalpakjian Illinois Institute of Technology

Gordon Lippa North Star Casteel Jacques Masounave Université du Québec Charles A. Parker (Vice Chair) AlliedSignal Aircraft Landing Systems K. Bhanu Sankara Rao Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research Mel M. Schwartz Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (retired) Peter F. Timmins University College of the Fraser Valley George F. Vander Voort Buehler Ltd.

vi



Preface The idea for this timely reference book was originally suggested by Tom Croucher, a California-based consulting metallurgist. Dr. Croucher and Harry Chandler of ASM International provided input for the first draft version. I broadened it out substantially to cover the understanding of the advantages and limitations of aluminum alloy/temper combinations in terms of the relationship of their composition, process history, and microstructure to service requirements. I would like to acknowledge Dr. John A. S. Green and the Aluminum Association, Inc. for making available critically important material for inclusion in this book. Among the Aluminum Association publications used as key references, notably on the alloy and temper designation system and aluminum terminology, were the following: O Aluminum Standards and Data O Standards for Aluminum Sand and Permanent Mold Castings O Aluminum: Technology, Applications, and Environment More complete citations to these and other reference materials are given in the Selected References, Chapter 8. Among the ASM International books used as major sources, most notably for micrographs, are the following: O Heat Treater’s Guide: Practices and Procedures for Nonferrous Alloys O ASM Specialty Handbook: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys Finally, I want to acknowledge the publications of the American Foundrymen’s Society, Inc. and the Diecasting Development Council, whose publications Aluminum Casting Technology and Product Design for Die Casting, respectively, provided excellent resources for casting terminology and descriptions of casting procedures. J. Gilbert Kaufman Columbus, Ohio

vii

Introduction to Aluminum Alloys and Tempers J. Gilbert Kaufman, p1-8 DOI:10.1361/iaat2000p001

CHAPTER

Copyright © 2000 ASM International® All rights reserved. www.asminternational.org

1

Introduction: The Nature of the Problem THE NEED FOR THIS BOOK stems directly from the increasing use of aluminum and aluminum alloys in automobiles and a great variety of other products that we encounter in everyday living. The excellent combination of light weight, high strength, great corrosion resistance, and reasonable cost has made aluminum and its alloys one of the most commonly used metal groups. Whereas weight saving by substituting light metals for heavy metals has been standard practice for generations in critical aerospace structures, it has now reached top priority status in a variety of other industries, including those manufacturing cars, trucks, military vehicles, aviation ground support vehicles, munitions, building and highway structures, and construction equipment. The transition from heretofore more widely used iron and steel can be especially difficult for those with little or no experience with aluminum and aluminum alloys. Of necessity, they must become conversant with a new alloy designation system and, perhaps even more importantly, with a great number and variety of tempers, the designations for which provide background on how the alloys have been produced to obtain the desired properties and characteristics. The positive news is twofold. First, contrary to the case for other metals, there are widely accepted alloy and temper designation systems for aluminum, created and maintained by the Aluminum Association, that are used throughout the aluminum industry. Those systems are published in the Aluminum Association publication Aluminum Standards and Data (see Chapter 8, “Selected References”) and are recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the American National Standard Alloy and Temper Designation Systems for Aluminum (see Chapter 8). The second item of positive news is that, with a little concentration, the aluminum alloy and temper designation systems are consistent, logical, and easily understood.

2 / Introduction to Aluminum Alloys and Tempers

The Aluminum Association maintains the alloy and temper designations systems and, in fact, is accredited by ANSI to carry out this role for the United States. The procedures for registering alloys and tempers, and a record of the alloys and tempers registered, are published in Alloy and Temper Registration Records (see Chapter 8) and are available at minimal cost for any producer or user to track. Further, standard aluminum tempers that have been registered with the Aluminum Association and are in widest use are described in Aluminum Standards and Data. An additional complication to be dealt with is the fact that, typically, each country around the world has its own designations system for aluminum alloys and tempers. Fortunately, great progress is being made in improving that situation, and the Aluminum Association’s alloy designation system is now recognized by about 90% of the world’s aluminum industry. The publication Recommendation: International Designation System for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys (see Chapter 8) has been accepted almost universally, and progress is slowly being made in broadening the agreement to cast alloys and certain basic temper designations as well. Regrettably, however, experience indicates that full acceptance of universal equivalents has not yet been completed, and situations requiring producers and buyers to discuss clarifications can still occur.

The Keys to Understanding Thus, the principal keys to gaining a good introduction to aluminum alloys and tempers are knowledge and understanding of the alloy and temper designations systems themselves. The main mission of this book is to build upon the information available in sources such as The Aluminum Association Alloy and Temper Registration Records and Aluminum Standards and Data to shed more light and understanding on the characteristics, production technology, and applications for the most commonly used aluminum alloys and tempers. To accomplish this, the basic aluminum alloy and temper designation systems, as developed by the Aluminum Association and documented in Aluminum Standards and Data and ANSI H35.1, are presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 explains the alloy designation system in greater detail with examples, and Chapter 4 covers the temper designation system in a similar manner. The processes used to produce aluminum alloy products are described briefly in Chapter 5, and representative applications are described in Chapter 6. We want to emphasize that the real authority on aluminum alloys and tempers is the Aluminum Association Technical Committee on Product Standards (TCPS), the group that, on behalf of the Aluminum Associa-

Introduction: The Nature of the Problem / 3

tion, maintains the alloy and temper designation systems and registers new alloys and tempers as they come along. At times, there is an unfortunate tendency on the part of some producers and fabricators to intentionally or unintentionally create their own designations for aluminum alloys and tempers and to do so in a style that misleadingly suggests that the newly created designations have been recognized by the industry as a whole through the registration process. This is unethical and improper because it misleads producers and users alike as to the heritage of the designation and dilutes the value of systems based on uniformity and industry standards. The independent creation of either alloy or temper designations without the complete registration process defined by the Aluminum Association and ANSI H35.1 is to be avoided. Any questions or decisions needed on existing or new registrations should be directed to that group at the following address: Aluminum Association Technical Committee on Product Standards The Aluminum Association, Inc. 900 Nineteenth Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 We want to emphasize that the mission of this publication is to provide a brief introduction to aluminum alloys, including their applications. For more detail on the various aspects of this subject, readers are encouraged to consult the selected references in Chapter 8, particularly the complete treatise on the aluminum industry by D.G. Altenpohl, Aluminum: Technology, Applications, and Environment.

Characteristics of Wrought Aluminum Alloys It is appropriate to briefly note at this stage some of the basic characteristics of wrought aluminum alloys that make them desirable candidates for a wide range of applications. Wrought alloys are addressed first, then cast alloys. Corrosion Resistance. As a result of a naturally occurring tenacious surface oxide film, many aluminum alloys provide exceptional resistance to corrosion in many atmospheric and chemical environments. Alloys of the 1xxx, 3xxx, 5xxx, and 6xxx systems are especially favorable in this respect and are even used in applications where they are in direct contact with seawater and antiskid salts. Thermal Conductivity. Aluminum and aluminum alloys are good conductors of heat, and while they melt at lower temperatures than steels, approximately 535 °C (1000 °F). They are slower than steel to reach very high temperatures in fire exposure.


Electrical Conductivity. Pure aluminum and some of its alloys have exceptionally high electrical conductivity (i.e., very low electrical resistivity), second only to copper among common metals as conductors. Strength/Weight Ratio. The combination of relatively high strength with low density means a high strength efficiency for aluminum alloys and many opportunities for replacement of heavier metals with no loss (and perhaps a gain) in load-carrying capacity. This characteristic, combined with excellent corrosion resistance and recyclability, has led to the broad use of aluminum in containers, aircraft, and automotive applications. Fracture Toughness and Energy Absorption Capacity. Many aluminum alloys are exceptionally tough and make excellent choices for critical applications where resistance to brittle fracture and unstable crack growth are imperatives. Alloys of the 5xxx series, for example, are prime choices for liquefied natural gas tankage. In addition, special hightoughness versions of aircraft alloys, such as 2124, 7050, and 7475, replace the standard versions of these alloys for critical bulkhead applications. Cryogenic Toughness. Aluminum alloys, especially of the 3xxx, 5xxx, and 6xxx series, are ideal for very low temperature applications because of the detailed documentation that their ductility and toughness, as well as strength, are higher at subzero temperatures, even down to near absolute zero, than at room temperature. Workability. Aluminum alloys are readily workable by a great variety of metalworking technologies and are especially amenable to extrusion (the process of forcing heated metal through shaped dies to produce specific shaped sections). This characteristic enables aluminum to be produced in a remarkable variety of shapes in which the metal can be placed in locations where it can most efficiently carry the applied loads. Ease of Joining. Aluminum alloys can be joined by a very broad variety of commercial methods, including welding, brazing, soldering, riveting, bolting, and even nailing, in addition to an unlimited variety of mechanical procedures. Welding, while considered difficult by those familiar only with joining steel and who try to apply the same techniques to aluminum, is particularly easy when performed by proven techniques such as gas metal arc welding (GMAW or MIG) or gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or TIG). Recyclability. Aluminum and aluminum alloys are among the easiest to recycle of any structural materials. They are recyclable in the truest sense, unlike materials that are reused but in lower-quality products; aluminum alloys may be recycled directly back into the same high-quality products, such as rigid containers, sheet, and automotive components.


Characteristics of Cast Aluminum Alloys The desirable characteristics of wrought alloys also are generally applicable to cast alloys, but in fact, the choice of one casting alloy over another tends to be determined by the relative abilities of the alloy to meet one or more of the following characteristics: O Ease of casting O Strength O Quality of finish Unfortunately, few alloys or alloy series possess all three characteristics, but some generalizations may be made. Ease of Casting. The high-silicon 3xx.x series are outstanding in this respect because their relatively high silicon contents lend a characteristic of good flow and mold-filling capability. As a result, the 3xx.x series are the most widely used and especially chosen for large and very complex castings. Strength. The 2xx.x alloys typically provide the very highest strengths but are more difficult to cast and lack good surface characteristics. Therefore, their use usually is limited to situations where expert casting techniques can be applied and where strength and toughness are at a premium, such as in the aerospace industry. Finish. The 5xx.x and 7xx.x series are noteworthy for the fine finish they provide, but they are more difficult to cast than the 3xx.x series and so usually are limited to those applications where that finish is paramount. A good example is the use of 7xx.x alloys for bearings.

Definitions for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

A few of the most useful definitions for aluminum and aluminum alloys and products applicable to the discussion in this book are listed in this section. A more complete listing of applicable terminology is included in the Appendix. The definitions included therein are taken primarily from Aluminum Standards and Data, with some additions from Product Design for Die Casting in Recyclable Aluminum, Magnesium, Zinc, and ZA Alloys and Aluminum Casting Technology (Chapter 8, “Selected References,” contains details). Some widely used definitions include: O Commercially pure aluminum: Commercially pure (CP) aluminum contains a minimum of 99% “pure” metal. Various specialty grades of


O

O

O

O

O

O

higher purity exist for use in special applications, up to and including the “six nines” aluminum (i.e., 99.9999% pure aluminum). Aluminum alloy: A substance having metallic properties and composed of two or more elements of which at least one is an elemental metal. Most aluminum alloys contain 90 to 96% aluminum, with one or more other elements added to provide a specific combination of properties and characteristics. It is quite usual to have several minor alloying elements in addition to one or two major alloying elements to impart special fabrication or performance characteristics. Strain-hardenable aluminum alloy: This is the type of alloy for which the major and minor alloying elements do not provide significant solid solution and precipitation strengthening during any type of thermal treatment and which, therefore, must be strengthened principally by strain hardening (i.e., by cold rolling or drawing). These alloys are referred to as strain hardenable. Heat treatable aluminum alloy: For this type of alloy, the major, and perhaps some minor, alloying elements do provide significant solid solution and precipitation strengthening during solution heat treatment and subsequent aging. These alloys are referred to as heat treatable. Wrought aluminum alloy: This term is applied to alloys produced in ingot or billet form and subsequently worked by any of a number of processes such as rolling, extruding, forging, drawing, or other metalworking process to produce semifinished products from which end-use products are subsequently made. Cast aluminum alloy: This term is used in the context of this reference to mean alloys that generally are used in parts cast to final or near-final shape and to the ingot from which such castings are made. Generally speaking, cast alloy compositions are not used for subsequent rolling, extrusion, forging, or other metal shaping processes. Casting as discussed herein does not generally apply to the production of ingots, billets, or other stock primarily intended for subsequent metalworking. Specification Limits and Test Directions: Most aluminum alloy specifications include tensile property limits, which individual lots are expected to equal or exceed in 99% of the instances with 95% confidence. Tensile test specimens used for such determinations have prescribed specimen directions or orientations. The standard orientations most often referred to in material specifications and in testing documents and reports in general are the following: a. Longitudinal: The axis of the specimen is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the product and to the direction of major grain flow in the product. b. Long transverse: The axis of the specimen is normal to the longitudinal axis of the product and to the direction of major grain flow in the product, and it is within the major plane of the product.


In relatively thin sections, this orientation may be referred to simply as the transverse direction. c. Short transverse: The axis of the specimen is normal to the major plane of the product, and thus normal to both the longitudinal and long transverse directions. This orientation is used only when products are thick enough to permit the taking of practical specimen sizes. All tensile tests and, in fact, all mechanical tests, are made in accordance with the appropriate ASTM standard test procedures as presented in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards.

Applications of Aluminum Alloys It is useful in gaining an improved understanding of the alloy and temper designations for aluminum alloys to look at a variety of typical applications for a variety of the alloys in various tempers. Accordingly, the applications are reviewed in Chapter 6, both by alloy type and by market area. This review provides additional insight into the advantages and disadvantages of the various alloy groups and illustrates the application of specific tempers for specific performance needs. Many of the examples included herein are taken from D.G. Altenpohl’s book, Aluminum: Technology, Applications and Environment, and readers looking for additional details on the variety of applications of aluminum, as well as a greater understanding of the aluminum industry in total, are encouraged to consult that reference.

Microscopy of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys To further assist the reader in understanding the principles of the alloy and temper designation systems and the consequences of applying the production technology implied by the temper designations, a catalog of micrographs is included in Chapter 7 of this book. While not exhaustively representing all alloys and tempers referenced in the text, a good cross section of the aluminum alloys and tempers discussed in this text is included.

Units and Unit Conversion The reader will note that the normal procedures for handling English/ engineering and metric units in ASM publications are not followed in this book. Rather, in this book about aluminum alloys, tempers, products, and applications, the standard procedures of the aluminum industry as


documented by the publications of the Aluminum Association have been followed. These procedures are described briefly as follows. For wrought aluminum alloy products, the U.S. aluminum industry elected upon establishing metric standards for aluminum and aluminum alloy products to develop property limits and product dimensions in normal rounded values the way they would be found in a metric environment, a practice known as “hard conversion.” This is in sharp contrast to the much less useful procedure known as “soft conversion” of using the odd numbers that result from direct calculation from the English/engineering values. As a result, when tables of properties for wrought alloys are presented herein (e.g., Tables 2 and 2M in Chapter 4), two separate tables are shown, one of English/engineering units, and one in metric/International Standard units. These may not be readily converted back and forth since each represents a separate but compatible set of standards. The practice followed in this book is completely consistent with that followed by the Aluminum Association, Inc., in publishing two complete sets of the standards for wrought alloys for the industry, one in each units system. For additional, more detailed information on industry practices, the reader is referred to Aluminum Standards and Data and Aluminum Standards and Data 1998 Metric SI. For aluminum alloy castings, metric (SI) conversions used by the aluminum industry are rounded soft (direct) conversions with rounding to represent comparable rounding used in the English/engineering system. Metric values are calculated using the exact conversion factors and then rounded to the nearest five megapascals, (i.e., 5 MPa, which is similar to rounding to the nearest thousand psi [ksi]) for strengths and nearest gigapascals (i.e., 1 MPa ⫻ 106, or GPa) for moduli. For both wrought and cast aluminum alloys, elongations are about 5 to 10% lower when determined in accordance with international standard methods compatible with the metric system (i.e., using gage lengths of 5D [five times the specimen diameter] rather than 4D as with engineering methods). Accordingly, elongations are reported at about 10% lower in metric (SI) tables. Note that this is not the result of a calculated conversion as for strength or modulus, but the result of a difference in the standard tensile test procedure.


CHAPTER


2

Aluminum Alloy and Temper Designation Systems of the Aluminum Association IT IS VERY USEFUL for secondary fabricators and users of aluminum products and components to have a working knowledge of the Aluminum Association alloy and temper designation systems. The alloy system provides a standard form for alloy identification that enables the user to understand a great deal about the chemical composition and characteristics of the alloy. Similarly, the temper designation system permits an understanding of the manner in which the product has been fabricated. The alloy and temper designation systems for wrought aluminum that are in use today were adopted by the aluminum industry around 1955, and the current system for the cast aluminum system was developed somewhat later. The aluminum industry itself manages the creation and continuing maintenance of these systems through its industry organization, the Aluminum Association. This chapter describes the basic systems as defined and maintained by that organization. The alloy registration process is carefully controlled and its integrity maintained by the Technical Committee on Product Standards of the Aluminum Association. This committee is made up of industry standards experts. Further, as noted earlier, the Aluminum Association designation system is the basis of the ANSI Standards, incorporated in ANSI H35.1 and, for the wrought alloy system at least, forms the basis for the nearly worldwide International Accord on Alloy Designations. The Aluminum Association Alloy and Temper Designation Systems covered in ANSI H35.1 and Aluminum Standards and Data are outlined in this chapter. Additional information is provided in subsequent chapters


to assist in understanding and using the systems, as well as recognizing the meanings of the designations themselves.

Wrought Aluminum Alloy Designation System

The Aluminum Association Wrought Alloy Designation System consists of four numerical digits, sometimes including alphabetic prefixes or suffixes, but normally just the four numbers: O The first digit defines the major alloying class of the series starting with that number. O The second defines variations in the original basic alloy: that digit is always a zero (0) for the original composition, a one (1) for the first variation, a two (2) for the second variation, and so forth. Variations are typically defined by differences in one or more alloying elements of 0.15 to 0.50% or more, depending on the level of the added element. O The third and fourth digits designate the specific alloy within the series; there is no special significance to the values of those digits, nor are they necessarily used in sequence. Table 1 shows the meaning of the first of the four digits in the alloy designation system. The alloy family is identified by that number and the associated main alloying ingredient(s), with three exceptions: O Members of the 1000 series family are commercially pure aluminum or special purity versions and as such do not typically have any alloying elements intentionally added; however, they do contain minor impurities that are not removed unless the intended application requires it. O The 8000 series family is an “other elements” series comprising alloys with rather unusual major alloying elements such as iron and nickel. O The 9000 series is unassigned.

Table 1 Main alloying elements in the wrought alloy designation system Alloy

Main alloying element

1xxx

Mostly pure aluminum; no major alloying additions

2xxx

Copper

3xxx

Manganese

4xxx

Silicon

5xxx

Magnesium

6xxx

Magnesium and silicon

7xxx

Zinc

8xxx

Other elements (e.g., iron or tin)

9xxx

Unassigned

Aluminum Alloy and Temper Designation Systems of the Aluminum Association / 11

The major benefit for understanding this designation system is that a great deal will be known about the alloy just from knowledge of the series of which it is a member, for example: O 1xxx series alloys are pure aluminum and its variations; compositions of 99.0% or more aluminum are by definition in this series. Within the 1xxx series, the last two of the four digits in the designation indicate the minimum aluminum percentage. These digits are the same as the two digits to the right of the decimal point in the minimum aluminum percentage specified for the designation when expressed to the nearest 0.01%. As with the rest of the alloy series, the second digit indicates modifications in impurity limits or intentionally added elements. Compositions of the 1xxx series do not respond to any solution heat treatment but may be strengthened modestly by strain hardening. O 2xxx series alloys have copper as their main alloying element, and because copper will go in significant amounts into solid solution in aluminum, these alloys will respond to solution heat treatment and are referred to as heat treatable. O 3xxx series alloys are based on manganese and are strain hardenable. These alloys do not respond to solution heat treatment. O 4xxx series alloys are based on silicon; some alloys are heat treatable, others are not, depending on the amount of silicon and the other alloying constituents. O 5xxx series alloys are based on magnesium. They are strain hardenable, but not heat treatable. O 6xxx series alloys have both magnesium and silicon as their main alloying elements, which combine as magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) following solid solution. Alloys in this series are heat treatable. O 7xxx series alloys have zinc as their main alloying element, often with significant amounts of copper and magnesium. They are heat treatable. O 8xxx series contain one or more of several less frequently used major alloying elements such as iron or tin. The characteristics of this series depend on the major alloying element(s). The compositions of a representative group of widely used commercial aluminum alloys are given in Table 2, taken from Aluminum Standards and Data (see Chapter 8, “Selected References”).

Cast Aluminum Alloys Designation System The designation system for cast aluminum alloys is similar in some respects to that for wrought alloys but has a few very important differences as noted by the following description.


Table 2

Nominal chemical composition of wrought aluminum alloys Percent of alloying elements; aluminum and normal impurities constitute remainder

Alloy

Silicon

Copper

Nickel

Zinc

Titanium

1050

...

...

Manganese

99.50% min aluminum

Magnesium

Chromium

...

...

...

1060

...

...

99.60% min aluminum

...

...

...

1100

...

0.12

99.0% min aluminum

...

...

...

1145

...

...

99.45% min aluminum

...

...

...

1175

...

...

99.75% min aluminum

...

...

...

1200

...

...

99.00% min aluminum

...

...

...

1230

...

...

99.30% min aluminum

...

...

...

1235

...

...

99.35% min aluminum

...

...

...

1345

...

...

99.45% min aluminum

...

...

...

1350(a)

...

...

99.50% min aluminum

...

...

...

2011(b)

...

5.5

2014

0.8

4.4

2017

0.50

4.0

2018

...

4.0

2024

...

2025

...

...

...

...

...

...

0.8

0.50

...

...

...

...

0.7

0.6

...

...

...

...

...

0.7

...

2.0

...

...

4.4

0.6

1.5

...

...

...

...

0.8

4.4

0.8

...

...

...

...

...

2036

...

2.6

0.25

0.45

...

...

...

...

2117

...

2.6

...

0.35

...

...

...

...

2124

...

4.4

0.6

1.5

...

...

...

...

2218

...

4.0

...

1.5

...

2.0

...

...

2219(c)

...

6.3

0.30

...

...

...

...

0.06

2319(c)

...

6.3

0.30

...

...

...

...

0.15

2618(d)

0.18

2.3

...

1.6

...

1.0

...

0.07

3003

...

0.12

1.2

...

...

...

...

...

3004

...

...

1.2

1.0

...

...

...

...

3005

...

...

1.2

0.40

...

...

...

...

3105

...

...

0.6

0.50

...

...

...

...

4032

12.2

0.9

...

1.0

...

0.9

...

...

4043

5.2

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

4045

10.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

4047

12.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

4145

10.0

4.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

4343

7.5

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

4643

4.1

...

...

0.20

...

...

...

...

5005

...

...

...

0.8

...

...

...

...

5050

...

...

...

1.4

...

...

...

...

5052

...

...

...

2.5

0.25

...

...

...

5056

...

...

0.12

5.0

0.12

...

...

...

5083

...

...

0.7

4.4

0.15

...

...

...

5086

...

...

0.45

4.0

0.15

...

...

5154

...

...

...

3.5

0.25

...

...

5183

...

...

0.08

4.8

0.15

...

...

...

5252

...

...

...

2.5

...

...

...

...

5254

...

...

...

3.5

0.25

...

...

...

5356

...

...

0.12

5.0

0.12

...

...

0.13

...

(continued) Listed herein are designations and chemical composition limits for some wrought unalloyed aluminum and for wrought aluminum alloys registered with the Aluminum Association. This does not include all alloys registered with the Aluminum Association. A complete list of registered designations is contained in the Registration Record of International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys. These lists are maintained by the Technical Committee on Product Standards of The Aluminum Association. (a) Formerly designated EC. (b) Lead and bismuth, 0.40 each. (c) Vanadium, 0.10; zirconium 0.18. (d) Iron, 1.1. (e) Lead and Bismuth, 0.55 each. (f) Zirconium, 0.14. (g) Zirconium, 0.12. (h) Zirconium, 0.18. (i) Iron, 0.7. (j) Boron, 0.02. (k) Iron, 0.35.


Table 2

(continued) Percent of alloying elements; aluminum and normal impurities constitute remainder

Alloy

Silicon

Copper

Manganese

Magnesium

Chromium

Nickel

Zinc

Titanium

5454

...

...

0.08

2.7

0.12

...

...

...

5456

...

...

0.08

5.1

0.12

...

...

...

5457

...

...

0.30

1.0

...

...

...

...

5554

...

...

0.08

2.7

0.12

...

...

0.12

5556

...

...

0.08

5.1

0.12

...

...

0.12

5652

...

...

...

2.5

0.25

...

...

...

5654

...

...

...

3.5

0.25

...

...

0.10

5657

...

...

...

0.8

...

...

...

...

6003

0.7

...

...

1.2

...

...

...

...

6005

0.8

...

...

0.50

...

...

...

...

6053

0.7

...

...

1.2

0.25

...

...

...

6061

0.6

0.28

...

1.0

0.20

...

...

...

6063

0.40

...

...

0.7

...

...

...

...

6066

1.4

1.0

0.8

1.1

...

...

...

...

6070

1.4

0.28

0.7

0.8

...

...

...

...

6101

0.50

...

...

0.6

...

...

...

...

6105

0.8

...

...

0.6

...

...

...

...

6151

0.9

...

...

0.6

0.25

...

...

...

6162

0.6

...

...

0.9

...

...

...

...

6201

0.7

...

...

0.8

...

...

...

...

6253

0.7

...

...

1.2

0.25

...

2.0

...

6262(e)

0.6

0.28

...

1.0

0.09

...

...

...

6351

1.0

...

0.6

0.6

...

...

...

...

6463

0.40

...

...

0.7

...

...

...

...

6951

0.35

0.28

...

0.6

...

...

...

...

7005(f)

...

...

0.45

1.4

0.13

...

4.5

0.04

7008

...

...

...

1.0

0.18

...

5.0

...

7049

...

1.6

...

2.4

0.16

...

7.7

...

7050(g)

...

2.3

...

2.2

...

...

6.2

...

7072

...

...

...

...

...

...

1.0

...

7075

...

1.6

...

2.5

0.23

...

5.6

...

7108(h)

...

...

...

1.0

...

...

5.0

...

7175

...

1.6

...

2.5

0.23

...

5.6

...

7178

...

2.0

...

2.8

0.23

...

6.8

...

7475

...

1.6

...

2.2

0.22

...

5.7

...

8017(i)

...

0.15

...

0.03

...

...

...

...

8030(j)

...

0.22

...

...

...

...

...

...

8176(i)

0.09

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

8177(k)

...

...

...

0.08

...

...

...

...

Listed herein are designations and chemical composition limits for some wrought unalloyed aluminum and for wrought aluminum alloys registered with the Aluminum Association. This does not include all alloys registered with the Aluminum Association. A complete list of registered designations is contained in the Registration Record of International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits for Wrought Aluminum and Wrought Aluminum Alloys. These lists are maintained by the Technical Committee on Product Standards of The Aluminum Association. (a) Formerly designated EC. (b) Lead and bismuth, 0.40 each. (c) Vanadium, 0.10; zirconium 0.18. (d) Iron, 1.1. (e) Lead and Bismuth, 0.55 each. (f) Zirconium, 0.14. (g) Zirconium, 0.12. (h) Zirconium, 0.18. (i) Iron, 0.7. (j) Boron, 0.02. (k) Iron, 0.35.

The cast alloy designation system also has four digits, and the first digit specifies the major alloying constituent(s) as shown in Table 3. However, a decimal point is used between the third and fourth digits to make clear that these are designations used to identify alloys in the form of castings or foundry ingot.


As for the wrought alloy designation system, the various digits of the cast alloy system convey information about the alloy: O The first digit indicates the alloy group, as can be seen in Table 3. For 2xx.x through 8xx.x alloys, the alloy group is determined by the alloying element present in the greatest mean percentage, except in cases in which the composition being registered qualifies as a modification of a previously registered alloy. Note that in Table 3, the 6xx.x series is shown last and for cast alloys is designated as the unused series. O The second and third digits identify the specific aluminum alloy or, for the aluminum 1xx.x series, indicate purity. If the greatest mean percentage is common to more than one alloying element, the alloy group is determined by the element that comes first in sequence. For the 1xx.x group, the second two of the four digits in the designation indicate the minimum aluminum percentage. These digits are the same as the two digits to the right of the decimal point in the minimum aluminum percentage when expressed to the nearest 0.01%. O The fourth digit indicates the product form: xxx.0 indicates castings, and xxx.1, for the most part, indicates ingot having limits for alloying elements the same as or very similar to those for the alloy in the form of castings. A fourth digit of xxx.2 may be used to indicate that the ingot has composition limits that differ from but fall within the xxx.1 limits; this typically represents the use of tighter limits on certain impurities to achieve specific properties in the finished cast product produced from that ingot. A letter before the numerical designation indicates a modification of the original alloy or an impurity limit. These serial letters are assigned in alphabetical sequence starting with A, but omitting I, O, Q, and X, with X being reserved for experimental alloys. Note that explicit rules have been established for determining whether a proposed composition is a modification of an existing, or whether it is a new, alloy. Table 4 presents the nominal compositions of a representative group of commercial aluminum casting alloys. Table 3

Cast alloy designation system

Alloy


1xx.x

Pure aluminum, 99.00% max

2xx.x

Copper

3xx.x

Silicon, with added copper and/or magnesium

4xx.x

Silicon

5xx.x

Magnesium

7xx.x

Zinc

8xx.x

Tin

9xx.x

Other elements

6xx.x

Unused series


Table 4

Nominal chemical compositions of aluminum alloy castings Percent of alloying elements; aluminum and normal impurities constitute remainder

Alloy

Silicon

Iron

Copper

Manganese

Magnesium

Chromium

Nickel

Zinc

Titanium

Notes

201.0

...

...

4.6

0.35

0.35

...

...

...

0.25

(a)

204.0

...

...

4.6

...

0.25

...

...

...

...

A206.0

...

...

4.6

0.35

0.25

...

...

...

0.22

208.0

3.0

...

4.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

213.0

2.0

1.2

7.0

...

...

...

...

2.5

...

222.0

...

...

10.0

...

0.25

...

...

...

...

224.0

...

...

5.0

0.35

...

...

...

...

...

240.0

...

...

8.0

0.5

6.0

...

0.5

...

...

242.0

...

...

4.0

...

1.5

...

2.0

...

...

A242.0

...

...

4.1

...

1.4

0.20

2.0

...

0.14

295.0

1.1

...

4.5

...

...

...

...

...

...

308.0

5.5

...

4.5

...

...

...

...

...

...

319.0

6.0

...

3.5

...

...

...

...

...

...

328.0

8.0

...

1.5

0.40

0.40

...

...

...

...

332.0

9.5

...

3.0

...

1.0

...

...

...

...

333.0

9.0

...

3.5

...

0.28

...

...

...

...

336.0

12.0

...

1.0

...

1.0

...

2.5

...

...

354.0

9.0

...

1.8

...

0.5

...

...

...

...

355.0

5.0

...

1.25

...

0.5

...

...

...

...

C355.0

5.0

...

1.25

...

0.5

...

...

...

...

356.0

7.0

...

...

...

0.32

...

...

...

...

A356.0

7.0

...

...

...

0.35

...

...

...

...

357.0

7.0

...

...

...

0.52

...

...

...

...

A357.0

7.0

...

...

...

0.55

...

...

...

0.12

359.0

9.0

...

...

...

0.6

...

...

...

...

360.0

9.5

...

...

...

0.5

...

...

...

...

A360.0

9.5

...

...

...

0.5

...

...

...

...

380.0

8.5

...

3.5

...

...

...

...

...

...

A380.0

8.5

...

3.5

...

...

...

...

...

...

383.0

10.5

...

2.5

...

...

...

...

...

... ...

384.0

11.2

...

3.8

...

...

...

...

...

B390.0

17.0

...

4.5

...

0.55

...

...

...

...

413.0

12.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

A413.0

12.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

443.0

5.2

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

B443.0

5.2

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

C443.0

5.2

(e)

A444.0

7.0

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

512.0

1.8

...

...

...

4.0

...

...

...

...

513.0

...

...

...

...

4.0

...

...

1.8

...

514.0

...

...

...

...

4.0

...

...

...

...

518.0

...

...

...

...

8.0

...

...

...

...

520.0

...

...

...

...

10.0

...

...

...

...

535.0

...

...

...

.18

6.8

...

...

...

0.18

705.0

...

...

...

0.5

1.6

0.30

...

3.0

...

707.0

...

...

...

0.50

2.1

0.30

...

4.2

...

(b)

(c) (c) (c, d)

(c) (c)

(c)

(f)

(continued) Values are nominal (i.e., average of range of limits for elements for which a range is specified). (a) Also contains 0.7% silver. (b) Also contains 0.10% vanadium and 0.18% zirconium. (c) For this alloy, impurity limits are significantly lower than for the similar alloy listed just above. (d) Also contains 0.055% beryllium. (e) May contain higher iron (up to 2.0% total) than 443.0 and A443.0. (f) Also contains 0.005% beryllium and 0.005% boron. (g) Also contains 6.2% tin.


Table 4

(continued) Percent of alloying elements; aluminum and normal impurities constitute remainder

Alloy

Silicon

Iron

Copper

Manganese

Magnesium

Chromium

Nickel

Zinc

Titanium

Notes

710.0

...

...

0.50

...

0.7

...

...

6.5

...

711.0

...

1.0

0.50

...

0.35

...

...

6.5

...

712.0

...

...

...

...

0.58

0.50

...

6.0

0.20

713.0

...

...

0.7

...

0.35

...

...

7.5

...

771.0

...

...

...

...

0.9

0.40

...

7.0

0.15

850.0

...

...

1.0

...

...

...

1.0

...

...

(g)

851.0

2.5

...

1.0

...

...

...

0.50

...

...

(g)

852.0

...

...

2.0

...

0.75

...

1.2

...

...

(g)

Values are nominal (i.e., average of range of limits for elements for which a range is specified). (a) Also contains 0.7% silver. (b) Also contains 0.10% vanadium and 0.18% zirconium. (c) For this alloy, impurity limits are significantly lower than for the similar alloy listed just above. (d) Also contains 0.055% beryllium. (e) May contain higher iron (up to 2.0% total) than 443.0 and A443.0. (f) Also contains 0.005% beryllium and 0.005% boron. (g) Also contains 6.2% tin.

Designations for Experimental Aluminum Alloys Experimental alloys of either the wrought or cast aluminum series are indicated with the addition of the prefix X. This prefix is dropped when the alloy is no longer experimental. However, during development and before an alloy is designated as experimental, a new composition may be identified by a serial number assigned by the originating organization. Use of the serial number is discontinued when the composition is registered with the Aluminum Association and the ANSI H35.1 designation is assigned.

Aluminum Alloy Temper Designation System Basic Temper Designations The temper designation is always presented immediately following the alloy designation with a hyphen between the designation and the temper (e.g., 2014-T6). The first character in the temper designation is a capital letter indicating the general class of treatment. The designations are defined and described as follows: O F, as fabricated: Applies to wrought or cast products made by shaping processes in which there is no special control over thermal conditions or strain-hardening processes employed to achieve specific properties. For wrought alloys there are no mechanical property limits associated with this temper, although for cast alloys there generally are. O O, annealed: Applies to wrought products that are annealed to obtain the lower strength temper, usually to increase subsequent workability. The O applies to cast products that are annealed to improve ductility


and dimensional stability and may be followed by a digit other than zero. O H, strain hardened: Applies to products that have their strength increased by strain hardening. They may or may not have supplementary thermal treatments to produce some reduction in strength. The H is always followed by two or more digits. O W, solution heat treated: Applies only to alloys that age spontaneously after solution heat treating. This designation is specific only when digits are used in combination with W to indicate the period of natural aging, for example, W 1⁄2 hr. O T, thermally treated to produce stable tempers other than F, O, or H: Applies to products that are thermally treated, with or without supplementary strain hardening, to produce stable tempers. The T is always followed by one or more digits.

Subdivisions of the Basic Tempers The temper designation system is based on sequences of basic treatments used to produce different tempers and their variations. Subdivisions of the basic tempers, discussed next, are indicated by one or more digits (descriptor digits) following the letter. Subdivisions of the Basic H Tempers. The first number(s) following the letter designation indicates the specific combination of basic operations: O H1, strain hardened only: Applies to products that have been strain hardened to obtain a desired level of strength without a supplementary thermal treatment. The number following H1 indicates degree of strain hardening. O H2, strain hardened and partially annealed: Applies to products that have been strain hardened more than the desired final amount, and their strength is reduced to the desired level by partial annealing. The number added to H2 indicates the degree of strain hardening remaining after partial annealing. O H3, strain hardened and stabilized: Applies to products that have been strain hardened and then stabilized either by a low temperature thermal treatment, or as a result of heat introduced during fabrication of the product. Stabilization usually improves ductility. The H3 temper is used only for those alloys that will gradually age soften at room temperature if they are not stabilized. The number added to H3 indicates the degree of strain hardening remaining after stabilization. O H4, strain hardened and lacquered or painted: Applies to products that are strain hardened and that have been subjected to heat during subsequent painting or lacquering operations. The number added to H4 indicates the amount of strain hardening left after painting or lacquering.


Adding Additional Digits: H Temper. A digit following H1, H2, H3, or H4 indicates the degree of strain hardening as identified or indicated by the minimum value for tensile strength: O The hardest temper normally produced is indicated by adding the numeral 8 (i.e., HX8). O A degree of cold work equal to approximately one-half that for the HX8 temper is indicated by the HX4 temper, and so on. O For a degree of cold work halfway between the O temper and the HX4 temper, the HX2 temper is used. O For a degree of cold work halfway between HX4 and HX8, the HX6 temper is used. O The numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7, similarly, designate tempers intermediate between those just listed. O The numeral 9 is used to indicate tempers that exceed those of HX8 by 14 MPa (2 ksi) or more. Table 5 indicates gains in the tensile strength of wrought alloys in the annealed temper when they are treated to the HX8 temper. Several three-digit H tempers also have been standardized. For all strain-hardenable alloys, the following three-digit designations are recognized: O HX11: Applies to products that incur sufficient strain hardening after the final anneal such that they fail to qualify as annealed, but not so much or so consistent an amount of strain that they qualify as HX1. O H112: Applies to products that may acquire some temper from working at an elevated temperature and for which there are mechanical property limits. Other recognized three-digit H tempers apply to types of sheet, as shown in Table 6. Table 5

Tensile strengths of HX8 tempers

Minimum tensile strength in annealed temper, ksi

Up to 6 7–9 10–12

Increase in tensile strength to HX8 temper, ksi

8 9 10

13–15

11

16–18

12

19–24

13

25–20

14

31–36

15

37–42

16

43 and over

17


Table 5M (metric)

Tensile strengths of HX8 tempers

Minimum tensile strength in annealed temper, mPa

Increase in tensile strength to HX8 temper, mPa

Up to 40

55

45–60

62

65–80

69

85–100

76

105–120

83

125–160

90

165–200

97

205–240

103

245–280

110

285–320

115

296 and over

120

Subdivisions of the Basic T Temper. The first number(s) following the letter T designation indicates the specific combination of basic operations: O T1, cooled from elevated temperature shaping process and naturally aged to a substantially stable condition: Applies to products (a) that are not cold worked after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening or straightening may not be recognized in mechanical property limits O T2, cooled from an elevated temperature shaping process, cold worked, and naturally aged to a substantially stable condition: Applies to products (a) that are cold worked to improve strength after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening or straightening is recognized in mechanical property limits O T3, solution heat treated, cold worked, and naturally aged to a substantially stable condition: Applies to products (a) that are cold worked to improve strength after solution heat treatment or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening or straightening is recognized in mechanical property limits O T4, solution heat treated and naturally aged to a substantially stable condition: Applies to products (a) that are not cold worked after solution heat treatment or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening or straightening may not be recognized in mechanical property limits O T5, cooled from an elevated temperature shaping process, then artificially aged: Applies to products (a) that are not cold worked after cooling from elevated temperature shaping process or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening or straightening may not be recognized in mechanical property limits O T6, solution treated, then artificially aged: Applies to products (a) that are not cold worked after solution treatment or (b) for which the effect


O

O

O O

of cold work in flattening or straightening may not be recognized in mechanical property limits T7, solution heat treated and overaged/stabilized: Applies to (a) wrought products that are artificially aged after solution heat treating to increase their strength beyond the maximum value achievable to provide control of some significant property or characteristic or (b) cast products that are artificially aged after solution treatment to provide stability in dimensions and in strength T8, solution heat treated, cold worked, then artificially aged: Applies to products (a) that are cold worked to improve strength or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening and straightening is recognized in mechanical property limits T9, solution heat treated, artificially aged, then cold worked: Applies to products that are cold worked to improve strength T10, cooled from an elevated temperature shaping process, cold worked, then artificially aged: Applies to products (a) that are cold worked to improve strength or (b) for which the effect of cold work in flattening or straightening is recognized in mechanical property limits

In all of the T-type temper definitions just described, solution heat treatment is achieved by: O Heating cast or wrought shaped products to a suitable temperature O Holding them at that temperature long enough to allow constituents to enter into solid solution O Cooling them rapidly enough to hold the constituents in solution to take advantage of subsequent precipitation and the associated strengthening (i.e., precipitation hardening) Adding Additional Digits: T Temper. Additional digits, the first of which shall not be zero, may be added to designations T1 through T10 to indicate a variation in treatment that significantly alters the product characteristics that are or would be obtained using the basic treatment. The specific additional digits shown in Table 7 have been assigned for stress-relieved tempers of wrought products. The special T-temper desigTable 6

Tempers for aluminum pattern sheet

Pattern or embossed sheet

Fabricated from

H114

O temper

H124, H224, H324

H11, H21, H31 temper, respectively

H134, H234, H334


H144, H244, H344


H154, H254, H354


H164, H264, H364


H174, H274, H374


H184, H284, H384


H194, H294, H394


H195, H295, H395



Table 7

Tempers for stress-relieved products

Temper

Application

Stress relieved by stretching TX51

Applies to plate and rolled or cold-finished rod or bar, die or ring forgings, and rolled rings when stretched the indicated amounts after solution heat treatment or after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process. The products receive no further straightening after stretching. Plate, 11⁄2–3% permanent set Rolled or cold-finished rod and bar, 1–3% permanent set Die or ring forgings and rolled rings, 1–5% permanent set

TX510

Applies to extruded rod, bar, profiles (shapes), and tube and to drawn tube when stretched the indicated amounts after solution heat treatment or after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process. These products receive no further straightening after stretching. Extruded rod, bar, profiles (shapes), and tube, 1–3% permanent set Drawn tube, 1⁄2–3% permanent set

TX511

Applies to extruded rod, bar, profiles (shapes), and tube and to drawn tube when stretched the indicated amounts after solution heat treatment or after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process. These products may receive minor straightening after stretching to comply with standard tolerances. Extruded rod, bar, profiles (shapes), and tube, 1–3% permanent set Drawn tube, 1⁄2–3% permanent set

Stress relieved by compressing TX52

Applies to products that are stress relieved by compressing after solution heat treatment or cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process to produce a permanent set of 1–5%.

Stress relieved by combined stretching and compressing TX54

Applies to die forgings that are stress relieved by restriking cold in the finish die.

Same digits (51, 52, 54) may be added to the designation W to indicate unstable solution heat treated and stress-relieved tempers.

nations listed in Table 8 have been assigned for wrought aluminum products from which test materials are taken and heat treated to demonstrate response to heat treatment of the product as a whole. Assigned O-Temper Variations. The following temper designation has been assigned for wrought products that are high-temperature annealed to accentuate ultrasonic response and to provide dimensional stability: O O1, thermally treated at approximately the same time and temperature required for solution heat treatment and slow cooled to room temperature: Applicable to products that are to be machined prior to solution heat treatment by the user. Mechanical property limits are not applicable. Table 8 Temper

T42

Tempers for testing response to heat treatment Description

Solution heat treated from annealed or F temper and naturally aged to a substantially stable condition

T62

Solution heat treated from annealed or F temper and artificially aged

T7X2

Solution heat treated from annealed or F temper and artificially overaged to meet the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance limits of the T7X temper

These temper designations have been assigned for wrought products test material heat-treated from annealed (O, O1, etc.) or F temper to demonstrate response to heat treatment. Temper designations T42 and T62 also may be applied to wrought products heat treated from any temper by the user when such heat treatment results in the mechanical properties applicable to these tempers.


Note: As the O temper is not part of the strain-hardened (H) series, variations of O temper shall not apply to products that are strain hardened after annealing and in which the effect of strain hardening is recognized in the mechanical properties or other characteristics.

Summary This completes an overview of the Aluminum Association Alloy and Temper Designation Systems in the terms described in Aluminum Standards and Data and in ANSI H35.1. In the chapters that follow, we will look at the systems in more detail, discuss the meanings of some of the variations, and provide illustrations of the usage of the systems. With this information, heat treaters, fabricators, and end users of aluminum products should be able to better understand the designations and, hence, the practices used in their particular situations. For more detailed information on any of the discussion presented in this chapter, the reader is referred directly to the master sources (publication information can be found in Chapter 8, “Selected References”): O Aluminum Standards and Data (English/engineering and metric editions) O American National Standard Alloy and Temper Designation Systems for Aluminum O Standards for Aluminum Sand and Permanent Mold Casting


CHAPTER


3

Understanding Wrought and Cast Aluminum Alloys Designations THE WROUGHT ALLOY DESIGNATION SYSTEM consists of four numerical digits, sometimes preceded by a capital letter as indicated in Chapter 2. The first digit indicates the principal alloying elements, as described in this chapter in the section “Principal Alloying Elements” and Table 1; the second digit is the variation of that alloy; and the last two digits represent the specific alloy designation.

The Wrought Alloy Series How the System is Applied The First Digit. Assignment of the first digit of the designation of a new alloy is fairly straightforward; few judgment decisions are needed unless there are equal amounts of two or more alloys. In the latter case, specific guidance has been provided by the developers of the alloy designation system that the choice of alloy series assigned shall be in the order of copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg), magnesium silicide (Mg2Si), and zinc (Zn). Thus, if a new alloy has equal amounts of manganese and zinc, it will be assigned to the 3xxx series. In such cases, the 6xxx series requires the most judgment because alloys that have more silicon than magnesium, but significant quantities of both, are likely to be placed in the 6xxx series rather than the 4xxx series in establishing properties and characteristics due to the predominance of the magnesium and silicon combination. Thus, for example, alloys such as 6005, 6066, and 6351, all have significantly more silicon than magnesium or other elements, but find themselves in the Mg2Si series.


The Second Digit. Assignment of the second digit of the alloy designation is related to the variations in a specific alloy, in many cases, tightening of controls on one or more impurities to achieve specific properties. If the second digit is 0, it generally indicates that the aluminum making up the bulk of the alloy is commercially pure aluminum having naturally occurring impurity levels. When the second digit is an integer 1 to 9, it indicates that some special control has been placed on the impurity levels of that variation, or that the range for one of the major alloy elements has been shaded one way or the other to achieve certain performance. However, the sequence has no significance in the composition variation; the digits are assigned sequentially as the situations occur, and the sequence indicates chronology more than level of control. An example of the application of these principles is the alloy set 7075, 7175, 7275, 7375, and 7475. The original alloy was 7075 with commercial quality aluminum; when added fracture toughness was needed, controls on various impurities, notably iron and silicon led to the other variations, of which 7175 and 7475 remain active alloys known for their superior toughness. The Third and Fourth Digits. As noted earlier, the last two digits in the 1xxx series indicate the purity level in terms of the first two digits after the 99.XX% purity of the aluminum used in preparing that composition. Thus, for example, the designation 1060 indicates 99.60% minimum aluminum in that composition. In the remaining 2xxx to 8xxx series, the last two digits have no special significance. They serve only to identify the specific individual alloys and mean nothing in terms of the sequence in which the alloys were developed or registered. Historically, for the older alloys, those digits came from the earlier designations (e.g., 2024 was 24S before 1950). More recently, it has been the tradition that developers of new alloys ask for specific designations, sometimes based on proximity of application to other alloys of the same series or because they judge them easy to remember or such. Alloy 2020, now inactive, is an example of the latter. If the developer asks for a specific number when filing for registration, the Aluminum Association Product Standards Committee, which oversees the system, is likely to agree to the request if no confusion would result. However, if no designation is requested, the committee would likely take the lowest used number in the sequence 1 to 99. The alloy designation system also calls for the use of capital letters in front of the four-digit numerical: O Experimental alloys—X: Early in the development of aluminum alloys, when such development has moved beyond single-company in-house trials, and the alloys are ready for customer trials and/or perhaps multicompany production but are still not sufficiently well understood or documented to become standard alloys, the alloys may be registered,

Understanding Wrought and Cast Aluminum Alloys Designations / 25

but an X is added to the designation. A historical example was the use of X2020, when the first of the lithium-bearing alloys was put forth in the 1960s. That designation was employed for about ten years before the further use of the alloy was deemed inappropriate and its application was discontinued. Another example is X7050, from which the X was removed once the broad application of the alloy was considered appropriate and the properties and standards were well defined. O Variations—A, B, etc.: Under certain situations when minor variations in alloy compositions are introduced, such variation sometimes is noted with the addition of a capital letter behind the original fournumber designation, rather than a change in the second digit. The only current example of the application of this procedure in commercial practice is 6005A—a modification of alloy 6005. In general, the practice is to reflect such variations with the second digit as noted earlier in this chapter.

Principal Alloying Elements As indicated in Chapter 2 and in the previous discussion, the most obvious characteristic of the alloy series defined by the designation is the major alloying element or elements, as recapped in Table 1. This breakdown leads to the ability to recognize a variety of things about the alloys themselves because each of these elements carries certain characteristics with it into the aluminum system as defined in subsequent paragraphs. Remembering these associations will add immeasurably to understanding the behavior and proper treatments to be given the alloys.

Understanding Wrought Alloy Strengthening Mechanisms The first major piece of information conveyed by understanding the alloy designation system is the manner in which the alloy can be most effectively strengthened. For example, pure aluminum (1xxx) and alloys containing principally manganese (3xxx) or magnesium (5xxx) with only minor amounts of other elements must be strengthened primarily by strain hardening because they Table 1 Main alloying elements in the wrought aluminum alloy designation system Alloy


1xxx

Mostly pure aluminum; no major alloying additions

2xxx

Copper

3xxx

Manganese

4xxx

Silicon

5xxx

Magnesium

6xxx

Magnesium and silicon

7xxx

Zinc

8xxx

Other elements (e.g., iron and silicon)

9xxx

Unassigned


do not respond to solution heat treatment. Pure aluminum has no appreciable amounts of any elements that can go into solution to provide solution strengthening or precipitation hardening. And elements such as magnesium, silicon, and manganese, while they are soluble to some degree in aluminum and provide modest solution strengthening, do not provide for an appreciable amount of the more significant precipitation hardening. Thus, for pure aluminum and the 3xxx and 5xxx alloys, cold rolling, stretching, or drawing, or some combination of these, are the principal means of strengthening. On the other hand, elements such as copper (2xxx series), zinc (7xxx series), and magnesium in combination with silicon as Mg2Si (6xxx series) do go into solution to an appreciable degree and provide the opportunity for appreciable precipitation hardening. Thus, solution heat treatment (a high temperature holding to permit the elements to go into solution), followed by a sufficiently rapid quench to keep the elements in solution, and then either natural aging (i.e., at room temperature) or artificial aging (holding in a furnace at a moderately elevated temperature) for precipitation hardening are most often used. The result is that alloy series containing copper (2xxx), magnesium plus silicon (6xxx), or zinc (7xxx) are the higher-strength series. The 4xxx series is somewhat unique in that silicon alone does not provide much heat treating advantage, so most alloys in this series are considered non-heat-treatable. However, in some 4xxx alloys the silicon is present with sufficient amounts of other elements such as magnesium that heat treatment is effective; alloy 4032 is an example. The situation is similar for the 8xxx series; some alloys such as 8017 and 8040 with only small amounts of alloying element are non-heat-treatable, while those such as 8090, with a significant amount of copper are.

Understanding Wrought Alloy Advantages and Limitations In addition to being indicative of specific strengthening mechanisms, the major alloying elements also indicate several things about basic behavioral or performance characteristics of the alloys. It is helpful to a secondary fabricator, heat treater, or user of the various alloys to be knowledgeable about these as well. The following example characteristics may be noted. 1xxx, Pure Aluminum. The compositions in this group have relatively low strength, even when strain hardened; however, they have extremely high ductility and formability and so may be readily worked or formed. The 1xxx series aluminums also have exceptionally high electrical conductivity and resistance to all types of corrosive environments and may be readily joined by a number of commercial processes. 2xxx, Copper. As the principal alloying element in this series, copper provides relatively high strength because it provides solution strengthening and the ability to precipitation harden. Many commercial aluminum


alloys contain copper as the principal alloying constituent in concentrations from 1 to 10%. Because these alloys naturally age at room temperature, it is advantageous to do any required working or forming of the metal soon after quenching from solution heat treatment. If a delay is needed, it may be desirable to cool them until the mechanical work can be performed. In the fully hardened (age-hardened) condition, the ductility of 2xxx alloys is generally lower than for some other alloys (except in special variations that are discussed later), and their resistance to atmospheric corrosion is not as good as that of pure aluminum or most non-heattreatable alloys. Unless given special treatments, 2xxx alloys in the T3 and T4 conditions may be susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) when stressed in the short-transverse direction (i.e., normal to the principal plane of grain flow). Precipitation hardening improves resistance to SCC but reduces ductility and toughness. Most aluminum-copper alloys are not readily welded by commercial processes, but a few alloys such as 2219 and 2195 have been developed especially for applications requiring welding. 3xxx, Manganese. Manganese provides only modest strength increase even when strain hardened but relatively high formability and ductility, and very high resistance to corrosion in almost all environments. Alloys of the 3xxx series are readily weldable and are among the best for brazing and soldering applications. Commercial aluminum-manganese alloys contain up to 1.2% manganese, but it is appropriate to note that manganese is commonly employed as a supplementary alloying constituent in alloys of the other series to enhance strength. 4xxx, Silicon. There are two types of silicon-bearing aluminum alloys: those with silicon alone, which are not very strong but provide excellent flow and finishing characteristics, and those that also include copper and/or magnesium as well as silicon and so gain strength by solution heat treatment and aging. The 4xxx alloys are not highly resistant to atmospheric corrosion and tend to “gray” with time in humid environments. Interestingly, this characteristic is used to advantage with finishing techniques such as anodizing to obtain a variety of rich gray shades. Because silicon adds to their “flow” characteristics during working, some 4xxx alloys (e.g., 4032) are used for complex or finely detailed forgings such as pistons. The 4xxx alloys are readily welded and, in fact, include some of the mostly widely used weld filler alloys, another result of their high fluidity. 5xxx, Magnesium. Magnesium additions to aluminum provide among the highest strength non-heat-treatable alloys. These alloys also are exceptionally tough, absorbing lots of energy during fracture, and so


can be used in critical applications where superior toughness is vital. Alloys of the 5xxx series are readily welded by commercial procedures. Generally, the 5xxx alloys also have excellent resistance to atmospheric and seawater corrosion to the point that they may be used in severe marine environments (as described in more detail in Chapter 6). However, alloys with more than 3% Mg are not recommended for service in which significant exposure to high temperature may be encountered because some sensitization to SCC may develop. For these types of applications, alloys such as 5052, 5454, and 5754 containing less magnesium are recommended. 6xxx, Magnesium Plus Silicon. With both magnesium and silicon present, aluminum forms a quasi-binary section with the Mg2Si phase of the magnesium-silicon system, which in turn provides excellent precipitation-hardening capability. This results in modestly higher strengths than possible with non-heat-treatable alloys, combined with generally excellent corrosion resistance. Alloys of the 6xxx type are among the easiest of aluminum alloys to extrude, and are thus widely used for complex (e.g., multihollow or finned) shapes produced in this manner. In addition, they are readily joined by almost all commercial processes. As with the 2xxx series, some natural aging begins immediately after solution heat treatment, so forming operations should be scheduled soon after the material is quenched. 7xxx, Zinc. Zinc-bearing aluminum alloys, especially when combined with copper and magnesium, provide the highest strengths of any commercial series. As a group, these alloys possess relatively poorer atmospheric corrosion resistance compared with other aluminum alloys and, except for the special versions described later, are less tough and more susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking under short-transverse stressing. Special treatments have been developed to deal with these characteristics and are especially important when the alloys would be subjected to high shorttransverse stresses in service (as described in the following paragraphs). As with the 2xxx and 6xxx series, 7xxx alloys naturally age following heat treatment, so scheduling of any intended forming operations is essential.

Other Characteristics Related to Principal Alloying Element As noted earlier, knowledge of the alloy designation system also provides some information about the properties and characteristics of the alloys. Two notable examples are density and modulus of elasticity: O Density: The density of each aluminum alloy is influenced by the density of each of the individual alloying elements, most especially by the major alloying element indicated by the first number of the


designation. The degree of influence is directly related to the percentage of the alloying element present. For example, alloys with magnesium and lithium present are lighter than pure aluminum, while alloys with copper, iron, and zinc are heavier. Those alloys with mostly silicon or silicon combined with magnesium have densities about the same as pure aluminum. In Section 2 of Aluminum Standards and Data, Tables I and II provide both typical density values and procedures for calculating densities. Practical estimates of the density of an alloy also may be made by summing the percentages of each element present multiplied by the respective density of that element (representative values given in Table 2). O Modulus of Elasticity: As in the case of density, the moduli of elasticity of aluminum alloys, with a few exceptions, are influenced by the modulus of elasticity of the alloying elements in direct relation to the amount present. Thus, by summing the percentages of each element present multiplied by the respective modulus, the modulus of the alloy may be estimated. There are two important exceptions—magnesium and lithium; both of these relatively low-modulus elements have the effect of increasing the modulus of aluminum: magnesium by a small amount and lithium by a large amount. Table 3 provides the moduli of the major alloying elements for use in estimating the moduli of alloys in which they are used. It must be emphasized that calculations made on this basis are to be considered to be rough estimates, not suitable for Table 2 Densities of aluminum and aluminum alloying elements Density Alloying element

g/cm3

lb/in.3

Aluminum

2.699

0.0971

Silver

10.49

0.379

Gold

19.32

0.698

Beryllium

1.82

0.066

Bismuth

9.80

0.354

Cadmium

8.65

0.313

Cobalt

8.9

0.32

Chromium

7.19

0.260

Copper

8.96

0.324

Iron

7.87

0.284

Lithium

0.53

0.019

Magnesium

1.74

0.0628

Manganese

7.43

0.268

Molybdenum Nickel Lead Silicon

13.55

0.490

8.90

0.322

11.34

0.410

2.33

0.084

Tin

7.30

0.264

Titanium

4.54

0.164

Zinc

7.13

0.258

Zirconium

6.5

0.23


design purposes. For design purposes, there is no substitute for precise measurements of modulus in accordance with ASTM Method E 111.

Understanding Wrought Alloy Variations Most wrought alloys start at the mill as cast ingot or billet. The ingot or billet is hot worked into semifabricated wrought products by such processes as hot rolling and extrusion, some of which are further finished by cold rolling or drawing. Wrought alloys are available in a variety of product forms, including sheet, plate, tube, pipe, structural shapes, extrusions, rod, bar, wire, rivets, forging, forging stock, foil, and fin stock. These processes and products are described further in Chapter 6. As stated earlier, the second digit of an alloy designation defines variations of the original alloy composition. Several examples may help to illustrate this point. Example 1. Alloys 2124, 2224, and 2324 are variations, actually higher-purity variations, of alloy 2024. The original alloy has been and continues to be useful for transportation applications, but research metallurgists noted that controlling impurity elements such as iron and silicon enhanced the toughness of the alloy, providing variations especially useful for critical aerospace applications where high fracture toughness is vital. This procedure was adopted first to make 2124, a plate Table 3 Elastic moduli of aluminum and aluminum alloying elements Elastic modulus Alloying element

GPa

106 psi

Aluminum

69

Silver

71

11.0

Gold

78

12.0

Beryllium

10.0

255

37.0

Bismuth

32

4.6

Cadmium

55

8.0

Cobalt

21

30.0

Chromium

248

36.0

Copper

128

16.0

Iron

208

28.5

Lithium

0.7(b)

0.1(b)

Magnesium

44(a)

Manganese

159

23.0

Molybdenum

325

50.0

Nickel

207

30.0

Lead

261

2.6

Silicon

110

16.0

Tin Titanium

6.5(a)

44

6.0

120

16.8

Zinc

69(c)

10(c)

Zirconium

49.3

11.0

(a) Effect of magnesium is equivalent to approximately 75 GPa/11.0 ⫻ 106psi. (b) Effect of lithium is equivalent to approximately 207 GPa/30.0 ⫻ 106psi. (c) The modulus of elasticity of zinc is not well defined; these values are lower-limit estimates.


alloy with all the advantages of 2024 but substantially higher elongation and toughness, especially in the short transverse direction. The process was adopted subsequently to create 2324, an alloy for extrusions with similar attributes. Some special processing also may be required for such alloys. Example 2. Alloys 7175 and 7475 are modifications of alloy 7075. Both 7175 and 7475 alloys have the same major alloying elements as 7075 but, as in the case of the 2xxx alloys, scientists learned that control of the impurities and the relationship of the levels of certain minor elements added to the fracture toughness of alloys, making them especially useful for critical aerospace applications. Alloy 7175 has found most of its application in forgings, while 7475 is most often used in applications requiring sheet and plate. Designations 7275 and 7375 were assigned earlier but then discarded and are no longer in commercial use.

Links to Earlier Alloy Designations For reference purposes, it is useful to note that prior to the development of the current Aluminum Association Alloy Designation System, another alloy designation system had been in place. Occasionally, a specification or a component turns up where the older designation still is evident, and it is useful to be able to bridge the gap. The old system for wrought alloy designations consisted of a one or two digit number followed by a capital S. A capital letter in front of the alloy number was used to illustrate a variation of a basic composition. Because it lacked sufficient rigor, flexibility, and consistency, this system was abandoned in the 1950s and replaced by the current system. When the four-digit system was installed, the letters were dropped, and the two surviving numbers became a part of the new system. For example, alloy 17S became alloy 2017, and similarly, alloy 24S became alloy 2024, as illustrated in Table 4, which provides a reference conversion showing both the current and original designations.

Unified Numbering System (UNS) Alloy Designation System for Wrought Alloys The UNS alloy designation system, while not used in most domestic or international commerce, is sometimes cited for information purposes in domestic or international standards, including ASTM material specifications. For both wrought and cast aluminum alloys, the UNS designation is based directly on the Aluminum Association alloy designation system. For wrought alloys, the UNS number is the Aluminum Association designation preceded by “A9.” Thus, for example, alloy 2024 becomes A92024 in the UNS system; 7075 is A97075. The Aluminum Association is the maintainer of the UNS designation system for aluminum alloys.


Table 4 Comparison of previous and current aluminum alloy designation systems Old designation

Current designation

1S

1100

3S

3003

4S

3004

14S

2014

17S

2017

A17S

2117

24S

2024

25S

2025

26S

2026

32S

4032

50S

5050

B51S

6151

52S

5052

56S

5056

61S

6061

63S

6063

75S

7075

76S

7076

The Cast Alloy Series The cast alloy designation series has a more complex and confusing history than the wrought alloy series, and so, in addition to describing the current alloy designations, some explanation will be given to the several variations of designations still rather widely applied to cast aluminum alloys. This is made more important because the most recent changes in the cast alloy designation system have occurred much more recently than those in the wrought alloy series, so there is a much higher probability that there are many parts in service and specified in drawings identified with earlier designations. There may be many individuals still unaware of the most recent changes. In the material that follows, the current system is discussed first, followed by a look back at earlier designations systems.

How the Current Aluminum Cast Alloy Designation System is Applied The cast alloy designation has four numbers, with a decimal point between the third and fourth numbers and a letter preceding the numbers to indicate variations. The first three numbers indicate the alloy, and the fourth indicates the product form. The first digit identifies the family, based on the series listed in Table 5. For example, a 3xx.x designation represents the group of aluminumsilicon alloys that contain magnesium or copper. As with wrought alloy designations, when there are two major elements in equal percentage in


Table 5

Aluminum casting alloys

Series

Alloying element(s)

1xx.x

Unalloyed compositions

2xx.x

Copper

3xx.x

Silicon plus copper and/or magnesium

4xx.x

Silicon

5xx.x

Magnesium

6xx.x

Not used

7xx.x

Zinc

8xx.x

Tin

9xx.x

Other elements

the alloy, the alloy is designated in accordance with the sequence: copper, silicon plus copper and/or magnesium, silicon, magnesium, or zinc. The second and third digits identify a specific alloy of the family. For all except the 1xx.x series, there is no special significance to those numbers; they neither indicate a sequence of any type nor represent any characteristic of the alloy. In some, though not all, instances, the numbers may refer back to an earlier designation system. In the 1xx.x series, the last two digits represent the percentage of aluminum present in terms of the two digits to the right of the decimal point in that percentage; for example, 160.0 represents a casting of 99.60% minimum aluminum, relatively high purity. The final digit following the decimal indicates the product form⫺casting or ingot. If the designation applies to a finished casting, a zero always is used (xxx.0); if it applies to the ingot from which the casting was or will be produced, a 1 or 2 is used (xxx.1 or xxx.2). In the latter case, the xxx.1 designation is the most common and refers to the common commercial composition. The xxx.2 designation usually is limited to those cases where a narrower composition range of one or more of the elements—all within the composition limits for the xxx.1 version—is used to achieve special properties. As an example, alloy 356.0 represents a finished casting of the silicon plus copper and/or magnesium series. The designation 356.1 normally would represent the ingot from which the 356.0 casting was made. Prefix letters such as A or B indicate variations in the composition of casting alloys, but overall similarity. Continuing the example above, alloy A356.0 indicates a variation of 356.0 alloy, but with tighter controls on iron and other impurities. The ingot from which the A356.0 was made may be designated A356.1 or 356.2, both indicating the tighter control at the ingot stage.

Understanding Cast Alloy Strengthening Mechanisms As with wrought alloys, we can note several major characteristics of casting alloys by their alloy class, the first digit of the designation. Response to heat treatment is one important characteristic:


O O O O

1xx.0: 2xx.0: 3xx.0: 4xx.0:

Unalloyed; non-heat-treatable Copper; heat treatable Silicon plus copper and/or magnesium; heat treatable Silicon; heat treatable

O O O O

5xx.0: 6xx.0: 7xx.0: 8xx.0:

Magnesium; non-heat-treatable Unused series Zinc; heat treatable Tin; heat treatable

O 9xx.0: Other elements; limited use Despite these descriptive categorizations, it is appropriate to note that while casting alloys of the 3xx.0 and 4xx.0 groupings are listed as heat treatable, it is not customary in the die-casting industry to use separate solution heat treatment for these alloys. Some strength advantage is gained by the rapid cooling from the casting process, but even this is not usually a closely controlled procedure. On the other hand, sand and permanent mold castings foundries typically take advantage of solution heat treating capabilities. The reader also will note that there is no discussion of strain hardening as a strengthening mechanism for cast alloys. This is simply because the vast majority of castings are produced to near-finished dimensions, and neither the shapes nor the dimensional controls lend themselves to stretching or compression cold work.

Understanding Cast Alloy Advantages and Limitations Based upon the effects of the primary alloying elements, some generalizations may be made about several characteristics of the major classes of aluminum casting alloys. Among the most important such characteristics are those related to castability and to end-product properties and characteristics, as illustrated in Table 6, with ratings from 1 (highest or best) to 5 (lowest or worst). Such ratings are generalizations, and some individual alloys in the groups may exhibit somewhat different behavior. Table 6 Class

Characteristic ratings for cast aluminum alloys Fluidity

Cracking

Tightness

1xx.0

Corrosion

Finishing

1

1

Joining

1

2xx.0

3

4

3

4

1–3

2–4

3xx.0

1–2

1–2

1–2

2–3

3–4

1–3

4xx.0

1

1

1

2–3

4–5

1

5xx.0

5

4

4–5

3

1–2

3

7xx.0

3

4

4

4

1–2

4

8xx.0

4

5

5

5

3

5


Examples of the Use of Variations in Cast Alloy Designations In the cast alloy designations more so than in the wrought series, letter prefixes are used to indicate variations. As noted earlier, an excellent example is illustrated by A356.0 as a variation of 356.0. Both are readily castable into complex shapes, but 356.0, because of the relatively greater impurity levels tolerated by its specifications (e.g., 0.6% Fe max), may be more variable in quality, including reduced ductility and toughness. A356.0 is a variation of 356.0 where iron and other impurities are controlled to lower levels (e.g., 0.20% Fe max) with the result that appreciably higher strength, ductility, and toughness are reliably provided. Another example is A357.0 as a low-impurity variation of 357.0, for which the situation is quite parallel.

Alloys for Different Casting Processes There are a variety of processes that can be employed to produce aluminum cast parts, as described in Chapter 5. While many of the alloys can be produced from a wide variety of these processes, commercial die castings are generally limited to a relatively small number of compositions, namely, 360.0, A360.0, 380.0, A380.0, 383.0, 384.0, A384.0, B390.0, 413.0, C443.0, and 518.0.

Other Characteristics Related to Composition As with wrought alloys, both density and elastic modulus are directly related to composition, and the same procedures and rules apply. Reference is thus made to an earlier section in this chapter, “Other Characteristics Related to Principal Alloying Element,” and to Tables 2 and 3 for the procedures on how to estimate these properties from the compositions.

Evolution of the Aluminum Cast Alloy Designation System For reference purposes, when links to earlier alloy designation systems are required, it is useful to note that there have been two gradual transitions in casting alloy designations. Originally, casting alloys were specified by a rather randomly applied two- or three-digit designation, without consistent relationships to major alloying elements. Around 1950, with the increased wrought alloy standardization, there began the tendency to standardize casting alloys with three digits, often with the aforementioned letter prefixes, but there were still few specific rules or guidelines guiding alloy designation uniformity. When the current system was adopted in about 1980, the change was both to reform the series designations to make it more reliable and consistent with regard to alloying constituents and to add the fourth digit, which included the precursor casting ingot from which the castings are


made. Therefore, at that time, castings designated as 356 castings became 356.0, and A356 castings became A356.0; the ingot from which they were made became 356.1, A356.1, or 356.2, respectively. For some other alloys placed in the wrong series initially, the change was more drastic: alloy 108 became 208.0, alloy 43 became 443.0 (or B443.0), and B214 became 512.0. A summary of some of the major changes over this period is shown in Table 7. Included in this table are both the current and former designations used within the industry, as well as the former designations followed by federal, ASTM, and SAE specifications. Regrettably, unlike the case with wrought alloys, the current cast alloy designations are not so widely accepted throughout the world, and in fact, they are not universally accepted even in the United States. While the American Foundrymen’s Society (AFS) and the Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society (NFFS) accept and use the Aluminum Association/ANSI cast alloy designation system, even the 1996 publications of the Die Casting Development Council still report cast alloy designations without the decimal point and the fourth digit and, more surprisingly, refer to the alloy designations used before the alloy series were rationalized by major alloying element.

UNS Alloy Designation System for Cast Alloys As noted earlier, the UNS alloy designation system for cast aluminum alloys, as for wrought aluminum alloys, is based directly on the Aluminum Association alloy designation system. For cast alloys, the Aluminum Association alloy designation is preceded by “A” followed by a “0” (zero) if there is no letter preceding the alloy designation, or by 1, 2, 3, and so on, representing the letter of the alphabet used. No period is used, as in the Aluminum Association casting alloy designation. So, for example, 356.0 becomes A03560, A356.0 becomes A13560, and B518.0 becomes A25180.


Table 7 AA/ANSI

Cross reference chart of aluminum casting alloy designations Former

UNS

Federal

Old ASTM

Old SAE

201.0

...

A02010

...

CQ51A

382

204.0

...

A02040

...

...

...

208.0

108

A02080

108

CS43A

...

213.0

C113

A02130

C113

CS74A

33

222.0

122

A02220

122

CG100A

34

242.0

142

A02420

142

CN42A

39

295.0

195

A02950

195

C4A

38

296.0

B295

A02960

B295

...

380

308.0

A108

A03080

A108

...

...

319.0

319, Allcast

A03190

319

SC64D

326

328.0

Red X-8

A03280

Red X-8

SC82A

327

332.0

F332.0

A03320

F132

SC103A

332

333.0

333

A03330

333

SC94A

331

336.0

A332.0

A03360

A132

SN122A

321

354.0

354

A03540

...

...

...

355.0

355

A03550

355

SC51A

322

C355

A33550

C355

SC51B

335

356

A03560

356

SG70A

323

A356

A13560

A356

SG70B

336

C355.0 356.0 A356.0 357.0

357

A03570

357

...

...

A357

A13570

...

...

...

359.0

359

A03590

...

...

...

360.0

360

A03600

360

SG100B

...

A360

A13600

A360

SG100A

309

A357.0

A360 380.0

380

A03800

380

SC84B

308

A380

A13800

A380

SC84A

306

383.0

383

A03830

383

SC102

383

384.0

384

A0384

384

SC114A

303

B390.0

390

A23900

390

SC174B

...

413.0

13

A04130

13

S12B

...

A13

A14130

A13

S12A

305

A380

A413.0 443.0

43

A04430

...

S5B

35

B443.0

43

A24430

43

S5A

...

C443.0

43

A34430

43

S5C

304

A444.0

...

A14440

...

...

...

512.0

B514.0

A05120

B214

GS42A

...

513.0

A514.0

A05130

A214

GZ42A

514.0

214

A05140

214

G4A

518.0

218

A05180

218

G8A

...

520.0

220

A05200

220

G10A

324

535.0

Almag 35

A05350

Almag 35

GM70B

...

705.0

603, Ternalloy 5

A07050

Ternalloy 5

ZG32A

311

707.0

607, Ternalloy 7

A07070

Ternalloy 7

ZG42A

312

710.0

A712.0

A07100

A612

ZG61B

313

320

711.0

C721.0

A07110

...

ZC60A

314

712.0

D712.0

A07120

40E

ZG61A

310

713.0

613, Tenzaloy

A07130

Tenzaloy

ZC81A

315

771.0

Precedent 71A

A07710

Precedent 71A

...

...

850.0

750

A08500

750

...

...

851.0

A850.0

A08510

A750

...

...

852.0

B850.0

A08520

B750

...

...


CHAPTER


4

Understanding the Aluminum Temper Designation System This chapter provides additional detail and illustrations for the use of temper designations in the aluminum industry today for both wrought and cast alloys. This discussion expands on the basic Aluminum Association Temper Designation System as described in Chapter 2. All standard tempers (i.e., those recognized by the industry because they have been registered by the Aluminum Association Technical Committee on Product Standards) are published either in Aluminum Standards and Data or in the Alloy and Temper Registration Records together with the procedures for registering alloys.

Tempers for Wrought Aluminum Alloys As noted earlier, temper designations are alphanumeric designations appended to the alloy designations that convey to the producer and user alike information about the general manner in which the alloy has been mechanically and/or thermally treated to achieve the properties desired. Most tempers have specific mechanical properties associated with them, and satisfactory achievement of the intended temper is generally indicated by whether the specified properties have been achieved. The temper designation does not indicate precise details of how the material has been treated, such as specific amounts of reduction during cold rolling, or the temperatures used in the thermal treatments. Topics covered in this chapter include: O Review of basic temper designations and their major variations O Applications and variations of the O temper


O O O O

Applications Applications Applications Applications

and and and and

variations variations variations variations

of of of of

the the the the

F temper W temper H tempers T tempers

a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

Identifying cold work Identifying stabilization treatments Identifying partial annealing treatments Identifying specific products (e.g., embossed sheet) Applications and variations of the T tempers Identifying stress relief (TX51, TX510, TX511; TX52) Identifying modifications in quenching (T5 versus T6; T6 versus T61) h. Heat treatment by nonproducer (heat treater or fabricator) (TX2) i. Applications of H or T Tempers for Specific Performance (corrosion resistance; identifying tempers for special or premium properties; T736 and T74) As background and useful reference material in understanding more about aluminum alloy temper designations, the typical mechanical properties of representative wrought and cast aluminum alloys are presented in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. Table 1

Typical mechanical properties of wrought aluminum alloys(a) Tension Elongation, % In 4D 1⁄2 in. diam specimen

Hardness, Brinell No., 500 kg load, 10 mm ball

Shear, ultimate shearing strength, ksi

Fatigue, endurance limit(b), ksi

Modulus, modulus of elasticity(c), ksi % 103

Yield

In 2 in. 1⁄16 in. thick specimen

1060-O 1060-H12 1060-H14 1060-H16 1060-H18

10 12 14 16 19

4 11 13 15 18

43 16 12 8 6

… … … … …

19 23 26 30 35

7 8 9 10 11

3 4 5 6.5 6.5

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

1100-O 1100-H12 1100-H14 1100-H16 1100-H18

13 16 18 21 24

5 15 17 20 22

35 12 9 6 5

45 25 20 17 15

23 28 32 38 44

9 10 11 12 13

5 6 7 9 9

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

1350-O 1350-H12 1350-H14 1350-H16 1350-H19

12 14 16 18 27

4 12 14 16 24

… … … … …

(d) … … … (e)

… … … … …

8 9 10 11 15

… … … … 7

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

2011-T3 2011-T8

55 59

43 45

… …

15 12 (continued)

95 100

32 35

Strength, ksi Alloy and temper

Ultimate

18 18

10.2 10.2

Note: Table values not intended for use in design. (a) The indicated typical mechanical properties for all except O temper material are higher than the specified minimum properties. For O temper products, typical ultimate and yield values are slightly lower than specified (maximum) values. (b) Based on 500,000,000 cycles of completely reversed stress using the R.R. Moore type of machine and specimen. (c) Average of tension and compression moduli. Compression modulus is about 2% greater than tension modulus. (d) 1350-O wire will have an elongation of approximately 23% in 10 in. (e) 1350-H19 wire will have an elongation of approximately 11⁄2% in 10 in. (f) Tempers T361 and T861 were formerly designated T36 and T86, respectively. (g) Based on 107 cycles using flexural type testing of sheet specimens. (h) Based on 1⁄4 in. thick specimen. (i) T7451, although not previously registered, has appeared in literature and in some specifications as T73651.

Understanding the Aluminum Temper Designation System / 41

Table 1

(continued) Tension Elongation, % Strength, ksi

In 4D 1⁄2 in. diam specimen





Alloy and temper

Ultimate

2014-O 2014-T4, T451 2014-T6, T651 Alclad 2014-O Alclad 2014-T3

27 62 70 25 63

14 42 60 10 40

… … … 21 20

18 20 13 … …

45 105 135 … …

18 38 42 18 37

13 20 18 … …

10.6 10.6 10.6 10.5 10.5

Alclad 2014-T4, T451 Alclad 2014-T6, T651 2017-O 2017-T4, T451 2018-T61

61 68 26 62 61

37 60 10 40 46

22 10 … … …

… … 22 22 12

… … 45 105 120

37 41 18 38 39

… … 13 18 17

10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.8

2024-O 2024-T3 2024-T4, T351 2024-T361(f) Alclad 2024-O

27 70 68 72 26

11 50 47 57 11

20 18 20 13 20

22 … 19 … …

47 120 120 130 …

18 41 41 42 18

13 20 20 18 …

10.6 10.6 10.6 10.6 10.6

Alclad Alclad Alclad Alclad Alclad

65 64 67 65 70

45 42 63 60 66

18 19 11 6 6

… … … … …

… … … … …

40 40 41 40 42

… … … … …

10.6 10.6 10.6 10.6 10.6

2025-T6 2036-T4 2117-T4 2124-T851 2218-T72

58 49 43 70 48

37 28 24 64 37

… 24 … … …

19 … 27 8 11

110 … 70 … 95

35 … 28 … 30

18 18(g) 14 … …

10.4 10.3 10.3 10.6 10.8

2219-O 2219-T42 2219-T31, T351 2219-T37 2219-T62

25 52 52 57 60

11 27 36 46 42

18 20 17 11 10

… … … … …

… … … … …

… … … … …

… … … … 15

10.6 10.6 10.6 10.6 10.6

2219-T81, T851 2219-T87 2618-T61 3003-O 3003-H12

66 69 64 16 19

51 57 54 6 18

10 10 … 30 10

… … 10 40 20

… … 115 28 35

… … 38 11 12

15 15 18 7 8

10.6 10.6 10.8 10.0 10.0

3003-H14 3003-H16 3003-H18 Alclad 3003-O Alclad 3003-H12

22 26 29 16 19

21 25 27 6 18

8 5 4 30 10

16 14 10 40 20

40 47 55 … …

14 15 16 11 12

9 10 10 … …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

Alclad 3003-H14 Alclad 3003-H16 Alclad 3003-H18

22 26 29

21 25 27

8 16 5 14 4 10 (continued)

… … …

14 15 16

… … …

10.0 10.0 10.0

2024-T3 2024-T4, T351 2024-T361(f) 2024-T81, T851 2024-T861(f)

Yield




Table 1

(continued) Tension Elongation, % In 4D 1⁄2 in. diam specimen





Ultimate

Yield


3004-O 3004-H32 3004-H34 3004-H36 3004-H38

26 31 35 38 41

10 25 29 33 36

20 10 9 5 5

25 17 12 9 6

45 52 63 70 77

16 17 18 20 21

14 15 15 16 16

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10

Alclad Alclad Alclad Alclad Alclad

26 31 35 38 41

10 25 29 33 36

20 10 9 5 5

25 17 12 9 6

… … … … …

16 17 18 20 21

… … … … …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

3105-O 3105-H12 3105-H14 3105-H16 3105-H18

17 22 25 28 31

8 19 22 25 28

24 7 5 4 3

… … … … …

… … … … …

12 14 15 16 17

… … … … …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

3105-H25 4032-T6 5005-O 5005-H12 5005-H14

26 55 18 20 23

23 46 6 19 22

8 … 25 10 6

… 9 … … …

… 120 28 … …

15 38 11 14 14

… 16 … … …

10.0 11.4 10.0 10.0 10.0

5005-H16 5005-H18 5005-H32 5005-H34 5005-H36

26 29 20 23 26

25 28 17 20 24

5 4 11 8 6

… … … … …

… … 36 41 46

15 16 14 14 15

… … … … …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

5005-H38 5050-O 5050-H32 5050-H34 5050-H36

29 21 25 28 30

27 8 21 24 26

5 24 9 8 7

… … … … …

51 36 46 53 58

16 15 17 18 19

… 12 13 13 14

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

5050-H38 5052-O 5052-H32 5052-H34 5052-H36

32 28 33 38 40

29 13 28 31 35

6 25 12 10 8

… 30 18 14 10

63 47 60 68 73

20 18 20 21 23

14 16 17 18 19

10.0 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2

5052-H38 5056-O 5056-H18 5056-H38 5083-O

42 42 63 60 42

37 22 59 50 21

7 … … … …

8 35 10 15 22

77 65 105 100 …

24 26 34 32 25

20 20 22 22 …

10.2 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3

5083-H321, H116

46

33

…

16 (continued)

…

…

23

10.3

Strength, ksi Alloy and temper

3004-O 3004-H32 3004-H34 3004-H36 3004-H38



Table 1

(continued) Tension Elongation, % In 4D 1⁄2 in. diam specimen





Alloy and temper

Ultimate

Yield


5086-O 5086-H32, H116 5086-H34 5086-H112 5154-O

38 42 47 39 35

17 30 37 19 17

22 12 10 14 27

… … … … …

… … … … 58

23 … 27 … 22

… … … … 17

10.3 10.3. 10.3 10.3 10.2

5154-H32 5154-H34 5154-H36 5154-H38 5154-H112

39 42 45 48 35

30 33 36 39 17

15 13 12 10 25

… … … … …

67 73 78 80 63

22 24 26 28 …

18 19 20 21 17

10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2

5252-H25 5252-H38, H28 5254-O 5254-H32 5254-H34

34 41 35 39 42

25 35 17 30 33

11 5 27 15 13

… … … … …

68 75 58 67 73

21 23 22 22 24

… … 17 18 19

10.0 10.0 10.2 10.2 10.2

5254-H36 5254-H38 5254-H112 5454-O 5454-H32

45 48 35 36 40

36 39 17 17 30

12 10 25 22 10

… … … … …

78 80 63 62 73

26 28 … 23 24

20 21 17 … …

10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2

5454-H34 5454-H111 5454-H112 5456-O 5456-H25

44 38 36 45 45

35 26 18 23 24

10 14 18 … …

… … … 24 22

81 70 62 … …

26 23 23 … …

… … … … …

10.2 10.2 10.2 10.3 10.3

5456-H321, H116 5457-O 5457-H25 5457-H38, H28 5652-O

51 19 26 30 28

37 7 23 27 13

… 22 12 6 25

16 … … … 30

90 32 48 55 47

30 12 16 18 18

… … … … 16

10.3 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.2

5652-H32 5652-H34 5652-H36 5652-H38 5657-H25

33 38 40 42 23

28 31 35 37 20

12 10 8 7 12

18 14 10 8 …

60 68 73 77 40

20 21 23 24 12

17 18 19 20 …

10.2 10.2 10.2 10.2 10.0

5657-H38, H28 6061-O 6061-T4, T451 6061-T6, T651 Alclad 6061-O

28 18 35 45 17

24 8 21 40 7

7 25 22 12 25

… 30 25 17 …

50 30 65 95 …

15 12 24 30 11

… 9 14 14 …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

Alclad 6061-T4, T451

33

19

22 … (continued)

…

22

…

10.0

Strength, ksi



Table 1

(continued) Tension Elongation, % Strength, ksi

Alloy and temper

Ultimate

Yield


In 4D 1⁄2 in. diam specimen





Alclad 6061-T6, T651 6063-O 6063-T1 6063-T4 6063-T5

42 13 22 25 27

37 7 13 13 21

12 … 20 22 12

… … … … …

… 25 42 … 60

27 10 14 … 17

… 8 9 … 10

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

6063-T6 6063-T83 6063-T831 6063-T832 6066-O

35 37 30 42 22

31 35 27 39 12

12 9 10 12 …

… … … … 18

73 82 70 95 43

22 22 18 27 14

10 … … … …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

6066-T4, T451 6066-T6, T651 6070-T6 6101-H111 6101-T6

52 57 55 14 32

30 52 51 11 28

… … 10 … 15(h)

18 12 … … …

90 120 … … 71

29 34 34 … 20

… 16 14 … …

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

6262-T9 6351-T4 6351-T6 6463-T1 6463-T5

58 36 45 22 27

55 22 41 13 21

… 20 14 20 12

10 … … … …

120 … 95 42 60

35 … 29 14 17

13 … 13 10 10

10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

6463-T6 7049-T73 7049-T7352 7050-T73510, T73511 7050-T7451(i)

35 75 75 72 76

31 65 63 63 68

12 … … … …

… 12 11 12 11

74 135 135 … …

22 44 43 … 44

10 … … … …

10.0 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4

7050-T7651 7075-O 7075-T6, T651 Alclad 7075-O Alclad 7075-T6, T651

80 33 83 32 76

71 15 73 14 67

… 17 11 17 11

11 16 11 … …

… 60 150 … …

47 22 48 22 46

… … 23 … …

10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4 10.4

7175-T74 7178-O 7178-T6, T651 7178-T76, T7651 Alclad 7178-O

76 33 88 83 32

66 15 78 73 14

… 15 10 … 16

11 16 11 11 …

135 … … … …

42 … … … …

23 … … … …

10.4 10.4 10.4 10.3 10.4

Alclad 7178-T6, T651 7475-T61 7475-T651 7475-T7351 7475-T761

81 82 85 72 75

71 71 74 61 65

10 11 … … 12

… … 13 13 …

… … … … …

… … … … …

… … … … …

10.4 10.2 10.4 10.4 10.2

7475-T7651 Alclad 7475-T61 Alclad 7475-T761 8176-H24

77 75 71 17

67 66 61 14

… 11 12 15

12 … … …

… … … …

… … … 10

… … … …

10.4 10.2 10.2 10.0



Table 1M

Typical mechanical properties of wrought aluminum alloys, (metric)(a) Tension Elongation, % In 5D 12.5 mm diam specimen

Hardness, Brinell No., 500 kgf load, 10 mm ball

Shear, ultimate shearing strength, MPa

Fatigue, endurance limit(b), MPa

Modulus, modulus of elasticity(c), MPa % 103

Yield

In 50 mm 1.60 mm thick specimen

1060-O 1060-H12 1060-H14 1060-H16 1060-H18

70 85 100 115 130

30 75 90 105 125

43 16 12 8 6

… … … … …

19 23 26 30 35

50 55 60 70 75

20 30 35 45 45

69 69 69 69 69

1100-O 1100-H12 1100-H14 1100-H16 1100-H18

90 110 125 145 165

35 105 115 140 150

35 12 9 6 5

42 22 18 15 13

23 28 32 38 44

60 70 75 85 90

35 40 50 60 60

69 69 69 69 69

1350-O 1350-H12 1350-H14 1350-H16 1350-H19

85 95 110 125 185

30 85 95 110 165

… … … … …

(d) … … … (e)

… … … … …

55 60 70 75 105

… … … … 50

69 69 69 69 69

2011-T3 2011-T8 2014-O 2014-T4, T451 2014-T6, T651

380 405 185 425 485

295 310 95 290 415

… … … … …

13 10 16 18 11

95 100 45 105 135

220 240 125 260 290

125 125 90 140 125

70 70 73 73 73

Alclad 2014-O Alclad 2014-T3 Alclad 2014-T4, T451 Alclad 2014-T6, T651 2017-O

170 435 421 470 180

70 275 255 415 70

21 20 22 10 …

… … … … 20

… … … … 45

125 255 255 285 125

… … … … 90

73 73 73 73 73

2017-T4, T451 2018-T61 2024-O 2024-T3 2024-T4, T351

425 420 185 485 472

275 315 75 345 325

… 21 20 18 20

20 10 20 … 17

105 120 47 120 120

260 270 125 285 285

125 115 90 140 140

73 74 73 73 73

2024-T361(f) Alclad 2024-O Alclad 2024-T3 Alclad 2024-T4, T351 Alclad 2024-T361(f)

495 180 450 440 460

395 75 310 290 365

13 20 18 19 11

… … … … …

130 … … … …

290 125 275 275 285

125 … … … …

73 73 73 73 73

Alclad 2024-T81, T851 Alclad 2024-T861(f) 2025-T6 2036-T4 2117-T4

450 485 400 340 295

415 455 255 195 165

6 6 … 24 …

… … 17 … 24

… … 110 … 70

275 290 240 205 195

… … 125 125(g) 95

73 73 72 71 71

2124-T851

485

440

… (continued)

8

…

…

…

73

Strength, MPa Alloy and temper

Ultimate

Note: Table values not intended for use in design. (a) The indicated typical mechanical properties for all except O temper material are higher than the specified minimum properties. For O temper products, typical ultimate and yield values are slightly lower than specified (maximum) values. (b) Based on 500,000,000 cycles of completely reversed stress using the R.R. Moore type of machine and specimen. (c) Average of tension and compression moduli. Compression modulus is approximately 2% greater than tension modulus. (d) 1350-O wire will have an elongation of approximately 23% in 250 mm. (e) 1350-H19 wire will have an elongation of approximately 11⁄2% in 250 mm. (f) Tempers T361 and T861 formerly were designated T36 and T86, respectively. (g) Based on 107 cycles using flexural type testing of sheet specimens. (h) Based on 6.3 mm thick specimen. (i) T7451, although not previously registered, has appeared in literature and in some specifications as T73651.


Table 1M

(continued) Tension Elongation, % In 5D 12.5 mm diam specimen





Alloy and temper

Ultimate

Yield


2218-T72 2219-O 2219-T42 2219-T31, T351 2219-T37

330 170 360 360 395

255 75 185 250 215

… 18 20 17 11

9 … … … …

95 … … … …

205 … … … …

… … … … …

74 73 73 73 73

2219-T62 2219-T81, T851 2219-T87 2618-T61 3003-O

415 455 475 440 110

290 350 395 370 40

10 10 10 … 30

… … … 10 37

… … … 115 28

… … … 260 75

105 105 105 90 50

73 73 73 73 69

3003-H12 3003-H14 3003-H16 3003-H18 Alclad 3003-O

130 150 175 200 110

125 145 170 185 40

10 8 5 4 30

18 14 12 9 37

35 40 47 55 …

85 95 105 110 75

55 60 70 70 …

69 69 69 69 69

Alclad 3003-H12 Alclad 3003-H14 Alclad 3003-H16 Alclad 3003-H18 3004-O

130 150 175 200 180

125 145 170 185 70

10 8 5 4 20

18 14 12 9 22

… … … … 45

85 95 105 110 110

… … … … 95

69 69 69 69 69

3004-H32 3004-H34 3004-H36 3004-H38 Alclad 3004-O

215 240 260 285 180

170 200 230 250 70

10 9 5 5 20

15 10 8 5 22

52 63 70 77 …

115 125 140 145 110

105 105 110 110 …

69 69 69 69 69

Alclad 3004-H32 Alclad 3004-H34 Alclad 3004-H36 Alclad 3004-H38 3105-O

215 240 260 285 115

170 200 230 250 55

10 9 5 5 24

15 10 8 5 …

… … … … …

115 125 140 145 85

… … … … …

69 69 69 69 69

3105-H12 3105-H14 3105-H16 3105-H18 3105-H25

150 170 195 215 180

130 150 170 195 160

7 5 4 3 8

… … … … …

… … … … …

95 105 110 115 105

… … … … …

69 69 69 69 69

4032-T6 5005-O 5005-H12 5005-H14 5005-H16

380 125 140 160 180

315 40 130 150 170

… 25 10 6 5

9 … … … …

120 28 … … …

260 75 95 95 105

110 … … … …

79 69 69 69 69

5005-H18

200

195

4

… (continued)

…

110

…

69

Strength, MPa



Table 1M






Ultimate

Yield


5005-H32 5005-H34 5005-H36 5005-H38 5050-O

140 160 180 200 145

115 140 165 185 55

11 8 6 5 24

… … … … …

36 41 46 51 36

95 95 105 110 105

… … … … 85

69 69 69 69 69

5050-H32 5050-H34 5050-H36 5050-H38 5052-O

170 190 205 220 195

145 165 180 200 90

9 8 7 6 25

… … … … 27

46 53 58 63 47

115 125 130 140 125

90 90 95 95 110

69 69 69 69 70

5052-H32 5052-H34 5052-H36 5052-H38 5056-O

230 260 275 290 290

195 215 240 255 150

12 10 8 7 …

16 12 9 7 32

60 68 73 77 65

140 145 160 165 180

115 125 130 140 140

70 70 70 70 71

5056-H18 5056-H38 5083-O 5083-H321, H116 5086-O

435 415 290 315 260

405 345 145 230 115

… … … … 22

9 13 20 14 …

105 100 … … …

235 220 170 … 165

150 150 … 160 …

71 71 71 71 71

5086-H32, H116 5086-H34 5086-H112 5154-O 5154-H32

290 325 270 240 270

205 255 130 115 205

12 10 14 27 15

… … … … …

… … … 58 67

… 185 … 150 150

… … … 115 125

71 71 71 70 70

5154-H34 5154-H36 5154-H38 5154-H112 5252-H25

290 310 330 240 235

230 250 270 115 170

13 12 10 25 11

… … … … …

73 78 80 63 68

165 180 195 … 145

130 140 145 115 …

70 70 70 70 69

5252-H38, H28 5254-O 5254-H32 5254-H34 5254-H36

285 240 270 290 310

240 115 205 230 250

5 27 15 13 12

… … … … …

75 58 67 73 78

160 150 150 165 180

… 115 125 130 140

69 70 70 70 70

5254-H38 5254-H112 5454-O 5454-H32 5454-H34

330 240 250 275 305

270 115 115 205 240

10 25 22 10 10

… … … … …

80 63 62 73 81

195 … 160 165 180

145 115 … … …

70 70 70 70 70

5454-H111

260

180

14

… (continued)

70

160

…

70




Table 1M






Ultimate

Yield


5454-H112 5456-O 5456-H25 5456-H321, H116 5457-O

250 310 310 350 130

125 160 165 255 50

18 … … … 22

… 22 20 14 …

62 … … 90 32

160 … … 205 85

… … … … …

70 71 71 71 69

5457-H25 5457-H38, H28 5652-O 5652-H32 5652-H34

180 205 195 230 260

160 185 90 195 215

12 6 25 12 10

… … 27 16 12

48 55 47 60 68

110 125 125 140 145

… … 110 115 125

69 69 70 70 70

5652-H36 5652-H38 5657-H25 5657-H38, H28 6061-O

275 290 160 195 125

240 255 140 165 55

8 7 12 7 25

9 7 … … 27

73 77 40 50 30

160 165 95 105 85

130 140 … … 60

70 70 69 69 69

6061-T4, T451 6061-T6, T651 Alclad 6061-O Alclad 6061-T4, T451 Alclad 6061-T6, T651

240 310 115 230 290

145 275 50 130 255

22 12 25 22 12

22 15 … … …

65 95 … … …

165 205 75 150 185

95 95 … … …

69 69 69 69 69

6063-O 6063-T1 6063-T4 6063-T5 6063-T6

90 150 170 185 240

50 90 90 145 215

… 20 22 12 12

… … … … …

25 42 … 60 73

70 95 … 115 150

55 60 … 70 70

69 69 69 69 69

6063-T83 6063-T831 6063-T832 6066-O 6066-T4, T451

255 205 295 150 360

240 185 270 85 205

9 10 12 … …

… … … 16 16

82 70 95 43 90

150 125 185 95 200

… … … … …

69 69 69 69 69

6066-T6, T651 6070-T6 6101-H111 6101-T6 6262-T9

395 380 95 220 400

360 350 75 195 380

… 10 … 15(h) …

10 … … … 9

120 … … 71 120

235 235 … 140 240

110 95 … … 90

69 69 69 69 69

6351-T4 6351-T6 6463-T1 6463-T5 6463-T6

250 310 150 185 240

150 285 90 145 215

20 14 20 12 12 (continued)

… … … … …

… 95 42 60 74

… 200 95 115 150

… 90 70 70 70

69 69 69 69 69




Table 1M






Ultimate

Yield


7049-T73 7049-T7352 7050-T73510, T73511 7050-T7451(i) 7050-T7651

515 515 495 525 550

450 435 435 470 490

… … … … …

10 9 11 10 10

135 135 … … …

305 295 … 305 325

… … … … …

72 72 72 72 72

7075-O 7075-T6, T651 Alclad 7075-O Alclad 7075-T6, T651 7175-T74

230 570 220 525 525

105 505 95 460 455

17 11 17 11 …

14 9 … … 10

60 150 … … 135

150 330 150 315 290

… 160 … … 160

72 72 72 72 72

7178-O 7178-T6, T651 7178-T76, T7651 Alclad 7178-O Alclad 7178-T6, T651

230 605 570 220 560

105 540 505 95 460

15 10 … 16 10

14 9 9 … …

… … … … …

… … … … …

… … … … …

72 72 71 72 72

7475-T61 7475-T651 7475-T7351 7475-T761 7475-T7651

565 585 495 515 530

490 510 420 450 460

11 … … 12 …

… 13 13 … 12

… … … … …

… … … … …

… … … … …

70 72 72 70 72

Alclad 7475-T61 Alclad 7475-T761 8176-H24

515 490 160

455 420 95

11 12 15

… … …

… … …

… … 70

… … …

70 70 69



Table 2

Typical mechanical properties of aluminum alloy castings Tension

Type of casting

Sand

Alloy and temper

Ultimate strength, ksi

Yield strength(a), ksi

201.0-T6 201.0-T7 201.0-T43 204.0-T4 A206.0-T4

65 68 60 45 51

55 60 37 28 36

208.0-F 213.0-F 222.0-O 222.0-T61 224.0-T72

21 24 27 41 55

14 15 20 40 40


Modulus of elasticity(c), 106 ksi

Hardness, Brinell No., 500kg/10mm

Shear, ultimate strength, ksi

8 6 17 6 7

130 … … … …

… … … … 40

… 14 … … …

… … … … …

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