WHAT ALUMINUM GRADE SHOULD I USE?-Roc Aluminum

Aluminum is a common metal used for both industrial and non-industrial applications. In most cases, it can be difficult to choose the correct Aluminum grade for your intended application. If your project does not have any physical or structural demands, and the aesthetics are not important, then almost any Aluminum grade will do the job.

Alloy 1100: This grade is commercially pure aluminum.It is soft and very ductile material, with excellent workability,making it ideal for applications with difficult forming. It can be welded using any method, but it is non heat-treatable.It has an excellent resistance to corrosion and is commonly used in the chemical and food processing industries.

Alloy 2024 : This grade is heat-treatable aluminum alloy with copper as the primary alloying element. It is used in applications requiring high strength to weight ratio, as well as good fatigue resistance. Due to its high strength and fatigue resistance, 2024 is widely used in aircraft structures.

Alloy 3004：This grade is a non- heat treatable aluminum alloy with manganese as its primary alloying element. It is similar to 3003 except for the addition of approximately 1% magnesium. It can be used to produce tempers with a higher strength but a lower ductility.

Alloy 5052: This is the highest strength alloy of the more non heat-treatable grades. Its fatigue strength is higher than most other aluminum grades. Alloy 5052 has a good resistance to marine atmosphere and salt water corrosion, and excellent workability. It can be easily drawn or formed into intricate shapes

Alloy 6061: The most versatile of the heat-treatable aluminum alloys, while keeping most of the good qualities of aluminum. This grade has a great range of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. It can be fabricated by most of the commonly used techniques and it has good workability in the annealed condition. It is welded by all methods and can be furnace brazed. As a result, it is used in a wide variety of products and applications where appearance and better corrosion resistance with good strength are required. The Tube and Angle shapes in this grade typically have rounded corners.

Alloy 7075: This is one of the highest strength aluminum alloys available. It has an excellent strength-to weight ratio, and it is ideally used for highly stressed parts. This grade can be formed in the annealed condition and subsequently heat treated, if needed. It can also be spot or flash welded (arc and gas not recommended).

For more Aluminum Basics, Concepts & Theory, please check here.