Materials database

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 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 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.

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.

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.

Grey cast iron with lamellar graphite and minimum tensile strength 150 MPa. The softest standard grey iron grade with predominantly ferritic matrix. Excellent machinability, vibration damping, and thermal conductivity. Chemical composition is not specified by EN 1561 — left to the foundry to achieve required mechanical properties. Used for electrical housings, machine tool covers, counterweights, low-stress castings, and decorative ironwork. Equivalent to DIN GG15 and ASTM A48 Class 20.

Grey cast iron with lamellar graphite and minimum tensile strength 200 MPa. Ferrite-pearlite matrix. Good balance of castability, machinability, and moderate strength. Excellent vibration damping. The most economical grey iron grade for general engineering. Used for machine bases, pump housings, valve bodies, pipe fittings, brake drums, and general-purpose castings. Equivalent to DIN GG20 and ASTM A48 Class 30.

Grey cast iron with lamellar graphite and minimum tensile strength 250 MPa. The most widely used grey cast iron grade worldwide. Predominantly pearlitic matrix providing an excellent balance of strength, machinability, damping capacity, and castability. Used for engine blocks, cylinder heads, machine tool beds, lathe beds, flywheels, brake discs, hydraulic valve bodies, and general medium-duty structural castings. Equivalent to DIN GG25 and ASTM A48 Class 35.

Grey cast iron with lamellar graphite and minimum tensile strength 300 MPa. Fully pearlitic matrix with higher strength than EN-GJL-250 but slightly reduced machinability and damping. Used for cylinder liners, heavy-duty machine beds, hydraulic cylinders, gearbox housings, large flywheels, and structural castings requiring higher strength. Equivalent to DIN GG30 and ASTM A48 Class 45.

Grey cast iron with lamellar graphite and minimum tensile strength 350 MPa. The highest standard strength grade. Fully pearlitic or even bainitic matrix with possible alloying (Cr, Cu, Ni) to achieve high strength. Reduced machinability compared to lower grades. Used for heavy-duty cylinder liners, large diesel engine blocks, high-performance brake discs, press frames, and heavily loaded machine components. Equivalent to DIN GG35 and ASTM A48 Class 50.

Ferritic black heart malleable cast iron. Rm ≥350 MPa, Rp0.2 ≥200 MPa, A ≥10%. Good ductility and shock resistance. Density ~7.3 g/cm³. EN 1562, ASTM A47 Grade 32510. Carbon exists as temper carbon nodules after annealing at 950°C. Applications: pipe fittings, automotive brackets, farm machinery, electrical fittings, small castings requiring ductility.

Pearlitic/ferritic white heart malleable cast iron. Rm ≥360 MPa, Rp0.2 ≥190 MPa, A ≥12% (for wall thickness ≤15mm). EN 1561, DIN EN 1562. Decarburized surface with white fracture. Better weldability than black malleable iron. Applications: pipe fittings (especially gas/water), chain links, lever arms, brackets, thin-walled castings.

Ferritic ductile (spheroidal graphite) cast iron with minimum tensile strength 400 MPa and minimum elongation 15%. The most widely used ductile iron grade worldwide. Spheroidal graphite morphology achieved by magnesium treatment provides far superior ductility and impact resistance compared to grey iron. Used for water and gas pipes, valve bodies, pump housings, automotive components, gearbox housings, and general engineering castings. Equivalent to DIN GGG40, ASTM A536 60-40-18, JIS FCD400.

Ferritic ductile cast iron with minimum tensile strength 400 MPa and minimum elongation 18%. Higher ductility than EN-GJS-400-15 due to more fully ferritic matrix and tighter process control. RT designation indicates room temperature impact testing. Used for pressure-retaining components, safety-critical castings, pipe fittings, and applications where impact resistance at room temperature is important.

Ferritic-pearlitic ductile cast iron with minimum tensile strength 500 MPa and minimum elongation 7%. The balanced grade offering significantly higher strength than EN-GJS-400-15 while retaining reasonable ductility. Mixed ferrite-pearlite matrix (typically 40-50% pearlite). Used for crankshafts, connecting rods, suspension components, gear housings, heavy-duty pipe fittings, and medium-stress structural castings. Equivalent to DIN GGG50, JIS FCD500.

Mainly pearlitic ductile cast iron with minimum tensile strength 600 MPa and minimum elongation 3%. High-strength grade achieved through predominantly pearlitic matrix, often with Cu or Sn additions as pearlite stabilizers. Used for camshafts, gears, high-stress housings, heavy-duty hydraulic components, press frames, and load-bearing structural castings where high strength is more important than ductility. Equivalent to DIN GGG60, JIS FCD600.

Fully pearlitic ductile cast iron with minimum tensile strength 700 MPa and minimum elongation 2%. One of the highest strength conventional ductile iron grades. Achieved through alloying (Cu, Sn, Mn) to stabilize a fully pearlitic matrix. Used for nockenwellen (camshafts), high-stress gears, crankshafts, connecting rods, heavy-duty machine components, and automotive powertrain parts where maximum ductile iron strength is needed. Equivalent to DIN GGG70, JIS FCD700.