Aluminum is the world’s most abundant metal and is the third most common element comprising 8% of the earth’s crust. The versatility of aluminum makes it the most widely used metal after steel.
Worldwide demand for aluminum is around 29 million tons per year. About 22 million tons is new aluminum and 7 million tons is recycled aluminum scrap. The use of recycled aluminum is economically and environmentally compelling. It takes 14,000 kWh to produce 1 ton of new aluminum. Conversely it takes only 5% of this to remelt and recycle one ton of aluminum. There is no difference in quality between virgin and recycled aluminum alloys.
Pure aluminum is soft, ductile, corrosion resistant and has a high electrical conductivity. It is widely used for foil and conductor cables, but alloying with other elements is necessary to provide the higher strengths needed for other applications. Aluminum is one of the lightest engineering metals, having a strength to weight ratio superior to steel. By utilizing various combinations of its advantageous properties such as strength, lightness, corrosion resistance, recyclability and formability, aluminum is being employed in an ever-increasing number of applications. This array of products ranges from structural materials through to thin packaging foils.
Different Aluminum alloys
Many types of aluminum alloys apply to different products and jobs. It’s challenging to list every kind of aluminum, but here are the most common varieties.
| Grade 6000 | The 6000 grades of aluminum are also known as the magnesium and silicon grades. |
| Grade 6082 | is the most common grade of commercial aluminum sections & plates, whilst T6 is the most common temper. |
| Grade 6063 | is a medium strength alloy; it is the most common grade of aluminum for extruding. As far as commercial aluminum sections are concerned, T6 is the most common temper available. |
| Grade 6061 | aluminum is a medium strength aluminum alloy that is predominantly produced for the American market. Grade 6082 is the nearest equivalent grade to this that is readily available, with very slight differences between the two. |
| Grade 1000 | The 1000 series grades of aluminum are the purest out of all the commercial aluminum grades. Each and every grade in the 1000 series contains a minimum of 99% pure aluminum within it. This high aluminum content gives the 1000 series grades exceptional resistance strength. |
| Grade 1050 | is the most common grade of aluminum sheet. Grade 1050 aluminum has the lowest strength of all the commercial grades of aluminum. It is most commonly available in H14 temper, which in technical terms is classed as half hard. 1050H14 is an extremely ductile grade of aluminum, and therefore it is most commonly used by fabricators and sheet metal workers who will bend and form the sheet into a requested shape. |
| Grade 5000 | Magnesium is the main element used in the composition of the 5000 series grades of aluminum. The 5000 series grades of aluminum are non-heat-treatable alloys. The 5000 series grades also have excellent resistance to corrosion caused by saltwater, for this reason they are often referred to as the Marine Grades of aluminum. |
| Grade 5083 | has the highest strength of all of the non-heat treatable alloys, although it is not as strong or as hard as the more common grade 6082. Grade 5083 is primarily available in plate form, and is most commonly available in O condition. |
| Grade 5754 | is a medium strength alloy. For comparison it is not a strong as grades 6082 or 5083, but 5754 is stronger than grade 5251. Grade 5754 is most commonly used to produce aluminum 5 bar treadplate. |
| Grade 5251 | is a medium strength alloy, usually supplied in sheet form, and is most commonly supplied in temper H22. Previously known as NS4, grade 5251 has many similar attributes to grade 1050 aluminum sheet and is probably the 2nd most popular grade of aluminum sheet. |
| Grade 2000 | The 2000 series grades are known as the copper grades of aluminum, copper being the main alloying element. The addition of copper increases the alloys strength and hardness, which in turn improves its machinability. |
| Grade 2011 | is a high performance, high strength aluminum alloy. Grade 2011 is usually supplied in round bars. |
| Grade 2014 | is a high strength aluminum alloy, supplied in bar and plate form. It has excellent machinability and is often interchanged with grade 2011. |
| Grade 7000 | Known as the zinc grades – zinc being the largest alloying element, the 7000 series grades are the hardest and strongest commercial grades of aluminum. |
| Grade 7075 | is the most common of the 7000 series grades. It is an extremely high strength alloy; the strongest of all commercial grades of aluminum. In fact, grade 7075 aluminum is stronger than many types of mild steel. |
Other Grades
A common misconception is that there is an “Aerospace grade” or “Aircraft spec” of aluminum. Various grades of aluminum from (but not limited to) the 1000 series, 2000 series, 5000 series, 6000 series and 7000 series grades of aluminum are routinely used in the aerospace industry. The aerospace industry does have a greater demand for harder grades, such as 7075, 2011, 2014, 6061 & 6082 than many other industries do, however the exact grade or specification used is very much dependent on the application. Today phrases such as “Aircraft aluminum”, “Aerospace aluminum”, “Aerospace grade aluminum” and “Aircraft spec aluminum” are generic terms used by the masses to describe a hard, machinable aluminum alloy.
Dural is an obsolete trade name for a heat treatable aluminum copper alloy. Also known as Duralumin, Dialuminium, Duralumin & Diuranium, the original Dural contained around 4 – 5% copper, 0.5 – 1% Manganese and 0.5 – 1.5% Magnesium which makes it very close in composition to grades 2014 & 2024. Today the term “Dural” is often used as a generic term to describe any type of aluminum that has good strength and is suitable for machining.