A kind of white color metal substance, which can be wrought and casted into various applications and functional precision metal parts used widely in multi-industries. because its far light weight, excellent strength,high corrosion resistance and premium mechanical process properties, they are often used in aerospace and aircraft, automotive, construction and decoration and consumer electronics. They are different chemical composition aluminum alloys, devided into two type of materials supporting wroughting and die casting processes.
What Is Aluminum Alloy ?
An aluminum alloy is a metal material made by combining pure aluminum (Al) with one or more alloying elements to improve its mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, machinability, castability, and heat resistance. Pure aluminum (99.9% Al) is lightweight and corrosion-resistant but has relatively low strength, making it unsuitable for many engineering applications. By adding elements such as silicon, magnesium, copper, zinc, or manganese, aluminum alloys become much stronger and more suitable for industrial manufacturing.
The composition varies according to the alloy grade.
| Alloying Element | Typical Content | Main Function |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum (Al) | 85–99% | Base metal |
| Silicon (Si) | 0.2–13% | Improves casting fluidity and wear resistance |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 0.2–5% | Increases strength and corrosion resistance |
| Copper (Cu) | 0.2–6% | Improves hardness and tensile strength |
| Zinc (Zn) | 0.5–8% | Provides very high strength |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.3–1.5% | Enhances toughness |
| Iron (Fe) | <1% | Usually controlled as an impurity |
| Nickel (Ni) | 0–2% | Improves heat resistance |
Common Aluminum Alloys Types
In many industries aluminum alloys have been used for industrial and daily applications. Since the diferent metal elements is acount for content in alloy metals, they can be used for versatile across many industries. Wrought and cast process is the most common manufacturing.
Wrought Aluminum Alloys
This kind of aluminum alloys contain highest aluminum element in ally metal, in which have excellent ductility and toughness, mechanical process property and strong anti-fatigue. They can be rolled, extruded, bended and deep drawn . Include the below items.
| Item | Aluminum Element Content | Property |
|---|---|---|
| 1350 | 99.5% | high electrical conductivity,Excellent corrosion resistance, best ductility. |
| 3003 | 96.8% – 99.0% | Excellent corrosion resistance,Good formability,good weldability |
| 6061 | 95.8% – 98.6% | Better ductility, excellent extruded, strong anti-fatigue |
| 6063 | 97.5% – 99.0% | Excellent surface finish, superior extrudability, |
| 5052 | 95.7% – 97.7% | Excellent corrosion resistance, Moderate strength, Excellent weldability |
| 7075 | 87.1% – 91.4% | Very high strength, better hardness and Excellent fatigue resistance |
Cast Aluminum Alloys
There are higher aluminum element in ally metals. Focuses on high hardness, excellent fluidity and high wear resistance, the kind of aluminum alloys can be cast under high pressure at higher temperature. Aluminum die casting have become very common industrial manufacturing, for die casting manufacturer, especially custom aluminum die casting project is popular. These typical aluminum alloys material is the below list.
| Item | Aluminum Element Content | Property |
|---|---|---|
| ADC12 | 80% – 83% | Excellent castibility and good mechanical peformance |
| A380 | 80% – 85% | Excellent fluidity, good strength, high themal coductivity |
| A356 | 91.1% – 93.3% | High-temperature resistance and good corrosion resistance |
Wrought vs cast aluminum alloys, they can be machined in precision, and lack of good fluidity of metal. While cast aluminum alloys have good fluidity and higher strength, and can be cast so easiler into various solid structural cast parts.
Aluminum Alloys Applications
Common aluminum alloys can be wroughted and cast and become specific aluminum goods for various applications in many industries. Depends on the specific requirements of the aluminum parts, they can be used for automotive components, place wing, construction curtains, heat sinks, connectors and wear equipment components etc.
| Automotive Industry
Aluminum element content is very high in Aluminum alloys, so they are so far weight. Other proper metal element content enhance their own different metal properties, sometime these aluminum alloys are made into some large size automotive aluminum die casting components, such as wheels, headlighting housing and transmssion housing. Allowed Aluminum alloys: A380, ADC12 for die casting, A356, for gravity casting, 6061,7075 for wrought.
| Aerospace Industry
Aircrafts and planes require more lighter components to reduce the overall weight of them effectively. They are used for the main place of these aircrafts. such as plane wings, body and the main frame. Of course these aluminum parts require more higher strength and anti-fatigue. Allowed aluminum alloys: 2024 6061,7075 for wrought
| Construction & Architecture
These common aluminum door frames, window frames and curtains, and are lighter, good strength and high corrosion resistance. Most of them are anodized and make more durable and aesthetics. Allowed: 6061,7075, for wrought, 3003
| Electrical & Electronics Industry
Alumium nutural metal property is best conductivity, whenever thermal conductivity or electrical conductivity. Aluminum alloys are used for heat sinks, electric connecting things and display panel for electric module. Allowed: 6061 for wrought, 1350
| Communication Industry
Bases of electric module for servers require excellent heat dissipation, they are wroughted into aluminum panels and placed. Light and premium mechanical propeties makes them various connectors for closing the circuit and signal transmission. Allowed aluminum alloys: ADC12, A380 for casting, 6061,6063 for wrought and cnc machining
| Consumer Goods Industry
These aluminum die casting earphone enclosures, cell housing and small size supporting frames are common in our daily life. Like some statues, they are portable and durable, anodized aluminum goods become attractive and valume-added. Allowed aluminum alloys: 3003 5052, 6061.
| Industrial Equipment & Machinery
Some aluminum components are high hardness, wear resistance and high-temperature resistance, which are often used on the key components for some heavy industrial equipment. These components have very hardness, high wear resistance and runing better at high temperature. Allowed: A380, ACD12 for die casting, 6061 for wrought and cnc machined.
Aluminum alloys can be used across many industries due to they are lightweight and high corrosion. From our daily life to industrial specific applications, they always play their own pros roles. and meet various functions and speicific environment applications.
Conclusion
In summary, aluminum alloys types are vertasile, their application range is very widely. Different aluminum alloy has different metal properties, and decide it which and where components are appropriate and advantagous. Certainly the wrought and casting aluminum alloys are all used widely, but the wrought aluminum alloys have excellent ductility, and more high aluminum element content, and excellent heat dissipation and electrical conductivity. While die casting aluminum alloys have good fluidity and strong strength, and ensure the perfect structure of the cast parts.
