Aluminium

Aluminium Alloy Equivalents Across Standards

Each country and region has its own aluminum alloy designation system, but there are near-equivalents across these standards. This table highlights how alloys compare between different systems, such as the Indian Standards (IS), U.S. Aluminium Association (AA), British Standards (BS), German (DIN), and more. It ensures that clients can identify and use the appropriate alloy regardless of the local standard.

 Key Highlights of Equivalent Aluminium Alloys

**1XXX Series**: Primarily pure aluminum alloys with minimum impurities, commonly used for electrical and chemical applications.
**2XXX Series**: Copper-alloyed aluminum, offering high strength and typically used in aerospace applications.
**3XXX Series**: Manganese-alloyed aluminum, used in industries requiring moderate strength and corrosion resistance, such as HVAC.
**4XXX Series**: Silicon-alloyed aluminum, providing excellent welding properties and used in automotive applications.
**5XXX Series**: Magnesium-alloyed aluminum, offering excellent corrosion resistance, ideal for marine and structural applications.
**6XXX Series**: Magnesium and silicon alloyed, balancing strength, formability, and weldability, often used in construction and automotive.
**7XXX Series**: Zinc-alloyed aluminum with high strength, typically utilized in aerospace and high-performance engineering applications.

Physical Properties of Aluminium

It offers exceptional physical properties, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of industries. Here’s an overview of the key physical characteristics that make aluminum stand out:

Typical Properties of Aluminium

we supply a wide range of aluminum products that offer excellent physical and mechanical properties, making aluminum a preferred choice across various industries. Below are some of the key properties of aluminum that highlight its versatility and performance.

Physical Properties of Aluminium

• Atomic Number: 13
• Atomic Weight: 26.98 g/mol
• Valency: 3
• Crystal Structure: Face-Centered Cubic (FCC)
• Melting Point: 660.2°C
• Boiling Point: 2480°C
• Specific Heat (0-100°C): 0.219 cal/g°C
• Thermal Conductivity (0-100°C): 0.57 cal/cms°C
• Coefficient of Linear Expansion (0-100°C): 23.5 x 10⁻⁶/°C
• Electrical Resistivity (at 20°C): 2.69 μΩ.cm
• Density: 2.6898 g/cm³
• Modulus of Elasticity: 68.3 GPa
• Poisson’s Ratio: 0.34

Mechanical Properties of Aluminium
Aluminium is a highly adaptable material due to its ability to be deformed without breaking. This makes it ideal for various mechanical processes such as rolling, extrusion, drawing, and machining. Aluminium can also be cast with high precision. Alloying, cold working, and heat treatment can further enhance its mechanical properties, tailoring it to suit specific applications. The tensile strength of pure aluminum is around 90 MPa, but it can be significantly increased to over 690 MPa for certain heat-treated alloys.

Mechanical Properties of Selected Aluminium Alloys
Different aluminum alloys offer unique mechanical properties, making them suitable for a wide variety of applications. Below are the mechanical properties of some commonly used aluminum alloys:

These alloys are used across industries due to their high strength, durability, and versatility. They can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of various applications through processes like cold working, alloying, and heat treatment.

Aluminium Standards

we adhere to the latest international standards to ensure the highest quality aluminum products. The older BS1470 standard has now been replaced by a set of nine European (EN) standards, which regulate various aspects of aluminum production and quality control. Below is a brief overview of the current EN standards for aluminum.

EN Standards for Aluminium

Key Changes from BS1470 to EN Standards

• Chemical Composition: Remains unchanged from the BS1470 standard.
• Alloy Numbering: Unchanged, maintaining the four-digit system.
• Temper Designations: Expanded, especially for heat-treatable alloys, now covering more special tempers. Up to four digits after the “T” in the temper designation represent nonstandard applications (e.g., T6151).
• Non-Heat Treatable Alloys: More comprehensive temper definitions. For example, the soft “O” temper is now H111, and an intermediate H112 temper has been introduced. Alloy 5251 is now represented as H32, H34, H36, and H38 (corresponding to previous H22, H24, etc.).
• Mechanical Properties: Mostly unchanged, but 0.2% proof stress must now be indicated on test certificates.
• Tolerances: Have been tightened for various aspects of production quality.

Heat Treatment of Aluminium Alloys

Various heat treatments can be applied to aluminum alloys to enhance their properties:

• Homogenization: Removes segregation by heating after casting.
• Annealing: Softens work-hardened alloys (1XXX, 3XXX, 5XXX series) after cold working.
• Precipitation Hardening: Increases the strength of alloys like 2XXX, 6XXX, and 7XXX by age hardening.
• Solution Heat Treatment: Prepares alloys for further precipitation hardening by heating and then cooling.
• Stoving: Cures coatings applied to aluminum.

After heat treatment, a suffix is added to the alloy designation to specify the type of treatment:

• F: As fabricated.
• O: Annealed wrought products.
• T: Heat-treated.
• W: Solution heat-treated.
• H: Non-heat treatable alloys that are cold-worked or strain-hardened.

Non-heat treatable alloys typically belong to the 3XXX, 4XXX, and 5XXX series.

Heat Treatment Designations for Aluminium Alloys

Work Hardening of Aluminium Alloys

Non-heat treatable aluminum alloys can have their mechanical properties adjusted by cold working, such as through rolling. The final properties of these alloys depend on the degree of cold work and any subsequent annealing or thermal treatment.

The designation system for work hardening uses the letter H, followed by one or more numbers. The first number refers to the work-hardening condition, while the second number represents the degree of temper.

Temper Codes for Aluminium Plate