A Comprehensive Guide to the Properties of the Eight Major Series of Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum alloy is a material made by fusing pure aluminum with one or more other elements (such as copper, manganese, magnesium, silicon, zinc, etc.). These added elements can improve the mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, heat resistance and other physical properties of aluminum. The strength, hardness and corrosion resistance of aluminum alloys are usually better than pure aluminum, while maintaining the light weight and good electrical and thermal conductivity of aluminum. In this guide, we will explore the characteristics, common uses, and advantages of the eight major series of aluminum alloys.

Element	Addition amount %	Compounds formed in alloys	Effect on alloy properties
Mg	0.2-0.6	Mg2Si, Al3Mg2	Allows aluminum alloys to be strengthened by heat treatment
Cu	1.0-5.0	CuAl2	Strengthen the alloy, so that the aluminum alloy does not deteriorate and has higher strength. It is mostly used for die-casting alloys
Ti	0.1-0.3	Al3Ti	Refine grains and improve mechanical properties
Mn	Moderate	Al10Mn2Si	Reducing the harmful effects of Fe
Zr	0.1-0.4	Al3Zr	Refine grains
Co	0.5-1.0	Al9Co2	Reduce the harmful effects of Fe and improve heat resistance
Si	5-20	Mg2Si, Fe2Si2Al9, Fe3Si2Al12	Enhance the strength and hardness of aluminum alloys, improve their mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, reduce their thermal expansion coefficient and improve processing performance
Rare earth	1-1.5	–	Refine grains and improve hot strength

International grade (using four Arabic numerals, currently commonly used indication method):

1XXX indicates a series of aluminum with more than 99% purity, such as 1050, 1100

2XXX indicates an aluminum-copper alloy series, such as 2014

3XXX indicates an aluminum-manganese alloy series, such as 3003

4XXX indicates an aluminum-silicon alloy series, such as 4032

5XXX indicates an aluminum-magnesium alloy series, such as 5052

6XXX indicates an aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy series, such as 6061, 6063

7XXX indicates an aluminum-zinc alloy series, such as 7001

8XXX indicates an alloy system other than the above

Among all series, the 1000 series has the highest aluminum content, with a purity of more than 99.00%. The 1000 series aluminum plate determines the minimum aluminum content of this series based on 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 more than 99.5% to be a qualified product.

The aluminum formability and surface treatment of the first series are good, and its corrosion resistance is the best among aluminum alloys. Its strength is relatively low, and the higher the purity, the lower the strength.

1000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
1060	As a conductive material, IACS guarantees 61%, and 6061 aluminum alloy is used when strength is required
1085 1080 1070 1050	It has good formability and surface treatment properties, and has the best corrosion resistance among aluminum alloys. Because it is pure aluminum, its strength is relatively low, and the higher the purity, the lower the strength.
1100 1200	Aluminum material for general use with an aluminum purity of more than 99%. The appearance after anodizing is slightly white, the same as above.
1N00	Slightly higher strength than 1100, good formability, and has the same characteristics as 1100

The commonly used aluminum alloys on mobile phones are 1050, 1070, 1080, 1085, and 1100, which are used for simple extrusion molding (without bending). Among them, 1050 and 1100 can be chemically sanded, polished, matte, and have normal effects. They have obvious material textures and good coloring effects; 1080 and 1085 mirror aluminum are often used for bright text and matte effects without obvious material textures.

1000 series of aluminum materials are relatively soft and are mainly used for decorative parts or interior parts.

The characteristics are high hardness, but poor corrosion resistance. Among them, the copper content is the highest. The 2000 series aluminum alloys represent 2024, 2A16, and 2A02. The copper content of the 2000 series aluminum plate is about 3-5%. The 2000 series aluminum rod belongs to aviation aluminum and is used as a structural material. It is not commonly used in conventional industries.

2000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
2011	2011 aluminum alloy is a fast-cutting alloy with good machinability and high strength. However, it is not very corrosion-resistant. When corrosion resistance is required, 6062 series aluminum alloy can be used
2014 2017 2024	Contains a lot of copper, so it has poor corrosion resistance, but has high strength and can be used as a structural material. It is also suitable for forging products.
2018 2218	Aluminum alloy for forging. Good forging performance and high temperature resistance, so it is suitable for forging products that require heat resistance. Poor corrosion resistance
2618	Aluminum alloy for forging. Excellent high temperature strength but poor corrosion resistance
2219	High strength, good low and high temperature characteristics, excellent welding properties, but poor corrosion resistance
2025	Aluminum alloy for forging. Good forgeability and high strength, but poor corrosion resistance
2N01	Aluminum alloy for forging. It has heat resistance and high strength, but poor corrosion resistance.

3000 series aluminum rods are mainly composed of manganese. 3000 series aluminum alloys are mainly represented by 3003, 3105, and 3A21. The content is between 1.0-1.5, and it is a series with good anti-rust function. It is often used as tanks and cans for liquid products, construction processing parts, construction tools, various lamp parts, and various pressure vessels and pipes for thin plate processing. It has good formability, weldability, and corrosion resistance.

3000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
3003	The strength of 3003 aluminum alloy is about 10% higher than that of 1100 aluminum alloy, and the formability, weldability and corrosion resistance are all good.
3203	The strength of 3203 aluminum alloy is about 10% higher than that of 1100 aluminum alloy, and the formability, weldability and corrosion resistance are all good.
3004	Higher strength than 3003 aluminum alloy, superior formability, and good corrosion resistance
3104	same as above
3005	The strength of 3005 aluminum alloy is about 20% higher than 3003 aluminum alloy, and the corrosion resistance is also better
3105	The strength of 3105 aluminum alloy is slightly higher than 3003 aluminum alloy, and other properties are similar to 3003 aluminum alloy

Usually the silicon content is between 4.5-6.0%. The higher the silicon content, the higher the strength. The 4000 series aluminum rods are represented by 4A01 and the 4000 series aluminum plates are high silicon content series. It has good soup flow and little solidification shrinkage. It is used as a building material, mechanical parts, forging material, and welding material. It has low melting point, good corrosion resistance, and has heat resistance and wear resistance.

4000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
4032	4032 aluminum alloy has good heat resistance, wear resistance, small thermal expansion coefficient
4043	4043 aluminum alloy has good fluidity, little shrinkage during solidification, and can be anodized with sulfuric acid to produce a natural gray color

5000 series aluminum rods belong to the commonly used alloy aluminum plate series. The main element is magnesium, and the magnesium content is between 3-5%. 5000 series aluminum alloys represent 5052, 5005, 5083, and 5A05 series. It can also be called aluminum-magnesium alloy. The main features are low density, high tensile strength, and high elongation. The weight of aluminum-magnesium alloy is lower than other series under the same area, and it is also widely used in conventional industries.

5000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
5005	5005 aluminum alloy has same strength with 3003 aluminum alloy. It has good processability, weldability and corrosion resistance. The modified processability after anodizing is good, and the the color is consistent with 6063 aluminum alloy.
5052	5052 aluminum alloy is the most representative alloy with medium strength, with good corrosion resistance, weldability and formability, especially high fatigue strength and good seawater resistance.
5652	5652 aluminum alloy is an alloy that limits the impure elements in 5052 aluminum alloy and inhibits the separation of hydrogen peroxide. Other properties are the same as 5052 aluminum alloy.
5154	The strength is about 20% higher than that of 5052 aluminum alloy, and other properties are the same as 5052 aluminum alloy
5254	5254 aluminum alloy limits the impure elements in 5154 aluminum alloy and inhibits the separation of hydrogen peroxide. Other properties are the same as 5154 aluminum alloy.
5454	The strength of 5454 aluminum alloy is about 20% higher than that of 5052 aluminum alloy. Its properties are roughly the same as those of 5154 aluminum alloy, but its corrosion resistance in harsh environments is better than that of 5154.
5056	5056 aluminum alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, surface decoration by cutting, good anodizing and dyeing properties
5082	The strength of 5082 aluminum alloy is similar to that of 5083 aluminum alloy, with good formability and corrosion resistance
5182	The strength of 5182 aluminum alloy is about 5% higher than that of 5082 aluminum alloy, and other properties are the same as 5082 aluminum alloy
5083	5083 aluminum alloy is used for welded structures. It is the strongest corrosion-resistant alloy among practical non-heat-treatable alloys. Suitable for welded structures. Good seawater resistance and low temperature characteristics.
5086	5086 aluminum alloy is a non-heat-treatable aluminum alloy with higher strength than 5154 and good seawater resistance. It is used for welding structures.
5N01	The strength is the same as 3003 aluminum alloy, and the anodized treatment after bright treatment can have high brightness. Good formability and corrosion resistance
5N02	Aluminum alloy for reamers, good seawater resistance

The most commonly used alloy in mobile phones is 5052, which is the most representative alloy with medium strength. It has good corrosion resistance, weldability and formability, especially high fatigue strength and good seawater resistance. It is often used to make products with high strength requirements, but its coloring effect is not ideal. It is suitable for sandblasting, but not suitable for chemical sandblasting, matte, etc. It is mainly formed by casting and is not suitable for extrusion.

6061 aluminum alloy, the representative of 6000 series aluminum alloy, mainly contains magnesium and silicon, so it concentrates the advantages of 4000 series and 5000 series. 6061 is a cold-treated aluminum forging product, suitable for applications with high requirements for corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance. It has good usability, easy coating and good processability.

6000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
6061	6061 aluminum alloy is a heat-treatable corrosion-resistant alloy. T6 treatment can achieve very high endurance values, but the strength of the weld interface is low, so it is suitable for screws and anchors.
6N01	6N01 aluminum alloy is a medium-strength aluminum alloy for extrusion. Its strength is between 6061 aluminum alloy and 6063 aluminum alloy. It has good extrudability and press hardening properties. It can be used to manufacture large thin-walled profiles with complex shapes. It has excellent corrosion resistance and welding properties.
6063	6063 aluminum alloy is a representative aluminum alloy for extrusion. It has lower strength than 6061 and good extrusion performance. It can be used to manufacture profiles with complex cross-section shapes. It has excellent corrosion resistance and surface treatment properties.
6101	High-strength conductive material, 55% IACS guarantee
6151	The forging processability of 6151 aluminum alloy is particularly good, and the corrosion resistance and surface treatment properties are also good, which is suitable for complex forging products.
6262	A corrosion-resistant free-cutting alloy. It has better corrosion resistance and surface treatment than 2011 aluminum alloy, and its strength is the same as 6061 aluminum alloy.

7000 series aluminum alloy mainly contains zinc, and the 7000 series aluminum alloy represents 7075. It also belongs to the aviation series, is an aluminum-magnesium-zinc-copper alloy, is a heat-treatable alloy, is a super-hard aluminum alloy, and has good wear resistance. At present, it basically relies on imports, and my country’s production technology needs to be improved.

7000 series aluminum alloy	Properties
7072	The electrode potential of 7072 aluminum alloy is low, mainly used for anti-corrosion cover sheet materials, and also suitable for radiators of heat sinks
7075	7075 aluminum alloy is ne of the highest strength aluminum alloys, but poor corrosion resistance, compared to 7072 degree covered leather
7050	The alloy improves the hardenability of 7075 aluminum alloy, has good resistance to stress corrosion cracking, and is suitable for thick plates and forged products.
7N01	7N01 aluminum alloy used in welding structure has high strength and the strength of the welded part is stronger than that of the base material when placed at room temperature. It can be restored to a strength close to that of the base material. It also has excellent corrosion resistance.
7003	A basic aluminum alloy for welding structures. Its strength is slightly lower than that of 7N01, but its extrusion performance is good. It can be used to make thin-walled large profiles. Its other properties are roughly the same as those of 7N01 aluminum alloy.

The most commonly used 8000 series aluminum alloy is 8011, which belongs to other series. Most of its applications are aluminum foil and it is not commonly used in the production of aluminum bars.