Classification and characteristics of aluminum alloy materials and application fields

Aluminum alloy materials are the most widely used non-ferrous metal structural parts in the industrial field, and are widely used in aviation, aerospace, automotive, machinery manufacturing, shipping, electronic machining, molds and chemical industries. Aluminum alloy materials are divided into different grades. Each grade material contains slightly different elements. Different grades are suitable for different ranges:

1000 series: representative alloys are 1050, 1060, 1100; also known as pure aluminum, in all series belongs to a series with the most aluminum content, purity can reach more than 99.00%. Because it does not contain other elements, the production process is relatively simple. The 1000 series aluminum plate determines the minimum aluminum content of this series according to the last two Arabic numerals. For example, the last two Arabic numerals of the 1050 series are 50. According to the international brand naming principle, the aluminum content must reach 99.5% or more. The 1000 series is mainly made of aluminum tape, with good formability (stretch), corrosion resistance, high electrical and thermal conductivity, but the lowest hardness, often used in lighting appliances, reflective plates, decorations, chemical industrial containers, heat sinks , Signs, nameplates, electrical appliances, stamping parts and other industries.

2000 series: representative alloys are 2011, 2017, 2024, and 2A12 (LY12); commonly known as «hard aluminum», which is an Al-Cu-Mg series of heat-treatable processed aluminum alloy, copper and magnesium are its main alloy elements, copper energy Improve the strength and hardness of the alloy; have a high modulus of elasticity, good weldability, ordinary corrosion resistance and obvious aging characteristics; often adopt anodizing treatment, painting method or aluminum coating on the surface to improve its corrosion resistance ability. The 2000 series belongs to aviation aluminum. It is currently used to make various high-load parts and components, such as skeleton parts, skins, bulkheads, ribs, spars, rivets, and other working parts below 150°C on aircraft; it is also widely used For the production of sensor components.

3000 series: 3003 and 3A21 are the main alloys; manganese is the main element, the content is between 1.0-1.5%, and the anti-rust function is good. It can be used in the fields of oil-guiding seamless pipes (3003 alloy) and cans (3004 alloy) on aircraft.

4000 series: represents alloy 4032; mainly silicon, belongs to the series with high silicon content, usually silicon content is between 4.5-6.0%, low melting point, good corrosion resistance; often used in construction, machinery parts forging materials and Welding materials.

5000 series: the representative alloys are 5052, 5056, 5083, and 5754; the main element is magnesium, and the magnesium content is between 3-5%, which is called aluminum-magnesium alloy; it is a heat treatment non-strengthening aluminum alloy. Magnesium can significantly improve the strength of aluminum without reducing its plasticity excessively; it has good corrosion resistance and solderability, its strength after welding is high, and its corrosion resistance to seawater and industrial environments is large. The main features are low density, high tensile strength, high elongation and good fatigue resistance. Used for welding parts of ships, ships, automobiles and aircraft plates, communication microwave equipment, test fixture mechanical parts, anti-rust machine equipment, etc.; extruded parts are often used in optical lenses and other fields.

6000 series: representative alloys are 6061, 6063, 6082, 6005; mainly contain two elements of magnesium and silicon, this series of alloy has good extrudability, medium strength, high corrosion resistance, and has the best comprehensive performance and economy, Applicable to various industrial structural parts that have certain requirements for strength and high corrosion resistance, such as manufacturing trucks, tower buildings, ships, trams, railway vehicles, furniture, mechanical parts, precision mold manufacturing, electronic parts and precision instruments, SMT , PC board solder carrier electronics, etc.

7000 series: representative alloys are 7050 and 7075; mainly contain zinc element. It also belongs to the aviation series, commonly known as «super hard aluminum», and is one of the strongest aluminum alloys for commercial use; it has high cutting and high wear resistance, and its strength is much better than mild steel; it has ordinary corrosion resistance, good mechanical properties and anode reaction, Representative uses are aerospace, mold processing, mechanical equipment, tooling fixtures, especially for the manufacture of aircraft structures and other high-stress structures with high strength.

8000 series: The representative alloy is 8011, which belongs to other series, most of which are aluminum foil.