The wide variety of aluminum alloys available on the market is enough to make your head spin, particularly if you need to decide which alloy is the best fit for a specific project.
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Many design engineers choose aluminum alloys because of their high strength-to-weight ratio, machinability, and corrosion resistance, but these traits vary significantly from one alloy to another. Comparing the strengths and weaknesses of aluminum alloys is a great way to determine which one suits your specific application best.
This article will compare two popular aluminum alloys: and . Read on to find out which of these two would be better for your application.
A member of the series, aluminum alloy has copper as its primary alloying element, but it also has considerable manganese and magnesium. These elements give aluminum its very high strength, which is the main reason for its popularity. The alloy also offers good machinability and adequate workability.
On the other hand, the high strength provided by the alloying copper comes at a cost. The high concentration of copper degrades the ordinarily excellent corrosion resistance of aluminum. To combat this, some applications of alloy feature it clad between other aluminum alloys that offer better corrosion resistance.
Alloy is also difficult to weld and braze, reducing its number of applications. You can find a more in-depth analysis of alloy in our Aluminum Overview Article.
Aluminum alloy is a member of the series — a family of alloys with magnesium and silicon as its main alloying elements. aluminum is one of the most used worldwide, as it’s very versatile and scores well in every category. Because of this, you can find in a wide variety of applications, from recreational equipment to structural and building products.
Alloy offers a good tensile strength, which you can significantly improve by applying a suitable temper treatment. It also features good corrosion resistance, weldability, and workability. Many extrusion projects use this alloy as its properties align perfectly with this forming method.
If you pull up aluminum alloy rankings based on their properties, alloy won’t rank first in any, as there are many specialized aluminum alloys that target specific applications. But is highly versatile and, compared to those specialized alloys, is readily available and low cost.
You can find a more in-depth analysis of alloy in our Aluminum Overview Article.
The following table provides a direct comparison between these two aluminum alloys, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses:
Below are some typical applications for each of these alloys. Looking at common applications may help you decide which of these two alloys could do well for your project.
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The decision to choose either of these excellent aluminum alloys comes down to your specific application.
For many non-specialized applications, alloy will do just fine. Its great all-around properties, relatively low cost, and good availability make this alloy a firm contender to almost any aluminum project.
If your application needs a high-strength material as the most vital characteristic, you don’t need to weld or braze the product, and you can either do with lower corrosion resistance or apply cladding, you may find that alloy fits your needs better.
If you are working on an aluminum extrusion project, alloy selection is one of the most crucial decisions you have to make. aluminum—whether the shape is in angle, sheet, bar, or plate form—is among the most commonly used aluminum grades internationally. The mechanical properties of aluminum make it a popular choice for a range of extrusion applications, including furniture, piping, electrical products, boats, and structural applications.
Learn more about the properties of aluminum, also known as structural aluminum.
The chemical makeup and properties of aluminum contribute to its versatility. It contains 1% magnesium and 0.6% silicon as alloying elements. Magnesium increases strength, while silicon lowers its melting temperature. This composition makes aluminum highly resistant to stress, cracking, and corrosion. As a result, the grade has good formability and weldability characteristics. Other chemical elements present in aluminum include iron, manganese, copper, zinc, titanium, and chromium.
Here are some other properties of aluminum:
In addition, you can increase the advantages of aluminum by using Tri-State’s anodizing services. Anodized aluminum offers many advantages over other standard materials, such as:
Extrusion refers to transforming a material—such as plastic, metal, or rubber—into an object with a uniform cross-section. The physical characteristics and heat treatability of series aluminum make it popular for extrusion. After aluminum, aluminum is the second most popular grade for aluminum extrusions. aluminum can form complex shapes with extremely smooth surfaces, so it is good for anodizing. However, aluminum is ideal for applications that require more strength than is possible with aluminum, such as construction purposes.
If there is a lot of machining required, aluminum emerges as the best aluminum alloy choice because it is affordable and versatile across a variety of machining operations. aluminum is also best where there is a need for a lot of welding. aluminum can bend easily without breaking or cracking and be welded together with high-strength joints.
If corrosion is a concern, aluminum is superior to aluminum . Its high corrosion resistance makes it a good choice for products or equipment that rust quickly due to exposure to humidity, moisture, or saltwater.
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