Page 175 - Manufacturing Engineering and Technology - Kalpakjian, Serope : Schmid, Steven R.

|54 Chapter 6 Nonferrous Metals and Alloys: Production, General Properties, and Applications

TABLE 6.4
Manufacturing Characteristics and Typical Applications of Selected Wrought Aluminum Alloys
Characteristics*
Corrosion
Alloy resistance Machinability Weldability Typical applications
1100 A -D A Sheet-metal work, spun hollowware, tin stock
2024 C -C B-C Truck wheels, screw machine products, aircraft structures
3003 A -D A Cooking utensils, chemical equipment, pressure vessels,
sheet-metal work, builders’ hardware, storage tanks
5052 A -D A Sheet-metal work, hydraulic tubes, and appliances; bus,
truck, and marine uses
6061 B -D A Heavy-duty structures where corrosion resistance is needed;
truck and marine structures, railroad cars, furniture, pipelines,
bridge railings, hydraulic tubing
7075 C B-D D Aircraft and other structures, keys, hydraulic fittings
’*A, excellent; D, poor.

There are two types of wrought alloys of aluminum:
I. Alloys that can be hardened by cold working and are not heat treatable.
2. Alloys that can be hardened by heat treatment.

Designation of Wrought Aluminum Alloys. Wrought aluminum alloys are identi-
fied by four digits and by a temper designation that shows the condition of the
material. (See also Unified Numbering System later in this section.) The major alloy-
ing element is identified by the first digit:
1xxx-Commercially pure aluminum: excellent corrosion resistance, high
electrical and thermal conductivity, good workability, low strength, not
heat treatable
2xxx-Copper: high strength-to-weight ratio, low resistance to corrosion,
heat treatable
3xxx-Manganese: good workability, moderate strength, generally not heat
treatable
4xxx-Silicon: lower melting point, forms an oxide film of a dark gray to
charcoal color, generally not heat treatable
5xxx-Magnesium: good corrosion resistance and weldability, moderate to
high strength, not heat treatable
6xxx-Magnesium and silicon: medium strength; good formability, machin-
ability, weldability, and corrosion resistance; heat treatable
7xxx-Zinc: moderate to Very high strength, heat treatable
8xxx-Other element
The second digit in these designations indicates modifications of the alloy. For
the 1xxx series, the third and fourth digits stand for the minimum amount of alu-
minum in the alloy. For example, 1050 indicates a minimum of 99.50% Al, and 1090
indicates a minimum of 99.90% Al. In other series, the third and fourth digits identify
the different alloys in the group and have no numerical significance. For instance, a
typical aluminum beverage can may consist of the following aluminum alloys, all in
the H19 condition (which is the highest cold-worked state): 3004 or 3104 for the can
body, 5182 for the lid, and 5042 for the tab. These alloys are selected for their man-
ufacturing characteristics as well as for economic reasons.