Aluminum grades

Al-Mg alloy specifically approved for pressure vessel applications (EN 13445, ASME Section VIII). Higher Mg than 5052 (2.7% vs 2.5%) with Cr addition for SCC resistance. Max continuous service temp 149°C for welded pressure vessels. Used for road tankers, chemical storage tanks, heat exchangers, and marine structures.

Medium-strength non-heat-treatable aluminium alloy with good corrosion resistance and excellent weldability. Lower Mg than 5083 for better formability. The standard alloy for automotive body panels (inner), chemical equipment, and food industry applications.

Medium-strength heat-treatable extrusion alloy. Slightly higher strength than 6063 with comparable extrudability. The standard alloy for railway carriages, truck bodies, and structural transport extrusions. Good weldability and corrosion resistance.

Al-Mg-Si extrusion alloy — between 6063 (softer) and 6082 (stronger) in the strength range. Optimized for medium-strength extruded profiles with good surface finish. T6: UTS 260-310 MPa. THE European rail vehicle and bus body profile alloy. Also used for structural profiles (curtain walls, ladders, scaffolding), heat sinks, and general engineering extrusions.

Free-machining Al-Mg-Si alloy with Bi addition for chip-breaking. Developed as Pb-free alternative to 2011 (the traditional machining aluminum). T9 temper gives excellent machinability with good strength. Used for high-volume automatic lathe parts, precision bushings, fittings, valve bodies, and screw machine products.

The most widely extruded aluminum alloy in Europe. Lower strength than 6063 but excellent extrudability and surface quality. Used for architectural profiles (window frames, curtain walls, door frames), furniture, heat sinks, and general-purpose extrusions. T6 temper for structural use; T5 for decorative.

The most widely used aluminium alloy in North America. Good balance of strength, corrosion resistance, and machinability. Heat treatable (T6). Used for structural components, automotive parts, marine fittings, bicycle frames, and general engineering. Being replaced by 6082 in European applications.

THE US structural aluminum alloy — AlMg1SiCu. Good strength (UTS 290 T6), excellent corrosion resistance, and good weldability. THE default choice in North America for structural and machined parts. Cu addition gives slightly better strength than 6082 in some tempers but slightly worse corrosion. Used for structural frames, bicycle frames, aircraft fittings, marine hardware, and general machined components.

The most common extrusion alloy worldwide. Excellent surface finish, good corrosion resistance, and exceptional extrudability. The standard choice for architectural profiles (window frames, curtain walls, railings), heat sinks, and electrical enclosures.

THE European structural aluminum alloy — AlSi1MgMn. Highest strength in the 6xxx series (UTS 310 T6). Excellent machinability, good weldability (but HAZ softening), and good corrosion resistance. THE default choice for structural aluminum in Europe — equivalent to what 6061 is in the US. Used for bridges, cranes, transport structures, offshore, and machined components.

High-strength structural aluminium alloy in the Al-Mg-Si family. One of the strongest 6xxx series alloys due to manganese addition. Replaced 6061 in many European applications. Used for trusses, bridges, cranes, transport, scaffolding, and marine applications. Heat treatable (T6/T651).

Al-Mg-Si electrical conductor alloy — optimized for maximum electrical conductivity (56-57% IACS T6) while maintaining moderate strength. THE aluminum busbar and power cable alloy. Used for high-voltage busbars, electrical conductors, overhead transmission lines, transformer windings, and switchgear. Replaces copper at 1/3 the weight and lower cost per amp-meter.

Free-machining Al-Mg-Si alloy — Pb + Bi addition for chip-breaking on CNC automatics. Same base as 6061 but optimized for high-speed screw machine production. T9: UTS 390-410 MPa. THE aluminum alloy for automatic screw machine parts: fittings, valve bodies, couplings, camera parts, and any high-volume turned Al component. Machinability rating ~90% of 2011.

Weldable high-strength 7xxx aluminium — unique because most 7xxx alloys have poor weldability. Low Cu content gives better SCC resistance than 7075. Good mechanical property recovery after welding. Used for railway carriages, military bridges, mobile cranes, aircraft freight containers, and structural transport components.

Ultra-high-strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy — Zn 7.2-8.4%, higher than 7075 (5.1-6.1%). T73 temper: UTS 510-570 MPa with improved stress corrosion resistance over T6. Used for aircraft structural forgings (landing gear, wing spars), missile components, and high-strength fasteners. Developed for thick-section forgings where 7075-T6 SCC resistance is insufficient.

High-strength aerospace aluminium developed by Alcoa for thick-plate applications. Zr addition (instead of Cr) reduces quench sensitivity for superior properties in thick sections. T7451 temper gives excellent SCC resistance + fracture toughness. Used for fuselage frames, bulkheads, wing spars, and thick structural aerospace components.

THE aerospace aluminum — Al-Zn5.6-Mg-Cu precipitation-hardened to the highest strength of any common aluminum alloy. T6 strength rivaling mild steel at 1/3 the density. Poor weldability and corrosion resistance vs 5xxx/6xxx. Used for aircraft wing skins, fuselage frames, high-stress structural components, and competitive cycling/climbing equipment. Often Alclad for corrosion protection.

The classic high-strength aerospace aluminium alloy. Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composition provides the highest strength of all common aluminium alloys in T6 temper. Poor weldability and limited corrosion resistance. Used for aircraft structures, M16 rifle receivers, rock climbing gear, and precision mold plates.

High-purity damage-tolerant Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy — controlled Fe+Si (<0.22% total) for maximum fracture toughness. T7351: UTS 490-530 MPa with KIc ~33 MPa√m (vs ~26 for 7075-T6). THE alloy for fatigue-critical fuselage skins where crack growth rate matters most. Used for lower wing skins, fuselage skins of wide-body aircraft (Boeing 747/777), and any primary structure requiring damage tolerance.