As one of today's most important and central materials, aluminium is characterized by its malleability, good conductivity, and aesthetically pleasing surface. However, pure aluminium has inadequate properties when it comes to its use as a modern material. The melting point of 660 °C is very low and the thermal conductivity and thermal expansion are high, to name just a few of the qualities of pure aluminium. This is undoubtedly an advantage for some special environments, but much less so than in general.
The variants and versions of aluminium alloys are versatile and extensive. During production, further alloying elements such as magnesium, manganese, iron, silicon, or copper are added to production scrap, market scrap and the primary metal aluminium (Al), which change the material's composition and the aluminium alloy's properties, depending on the requirements. This makes it possible to use an aluminium alloy to meet different requirements and areas of application – be it in terms of formability, thermal conductivity, or weldability. This means that tailor-made solutions can be produced for almost any industry.
2.What are the advantages of aluminium alloys?
The density of aluminium is just 2.7 g/cm³ compared to steel at 7.874 g/cm³. This is why the material is also classed as a light metal. However, this also means that pure aluminium is not particularly strong. Only an aluminium alloy provides a remedy in this case by adding other alloying elements. This increases strength and stability.
Increase strength without affecting lightness
Improving corrosion resistance for humid or salty environments
Increase of thermal conductivity
Strengthening machinability and facilitating processing and shaping
Adjustment of ductility and toughness to reduce the risk of cracks and fractures
Corrosion resistance
Lightness
Ductility and hardness
Low melting point
Malleability
Thermal conductivity
Electric conductivity
Can be modified by surface treatments
Recyclability
Weather resistance
3.Where are aluminium alloys used?
The areas of application for which aluminium alloys are suitable depend largely on their composition and the associated properties. Thanks to the possibility of adding various main alloying elements to aluminium, we are able to adapt the material for a wide range of applications.Pure aluminium, for example, is suitable for pipes or tanks, while an aluminium alloy with copper is often used in aircraft construction and aerospace, mainly due to its increased strength.
When manganese is added, the good formability and thermal conductivity are evident in the production of vehicle construction. Another example is aluminium alloys with magnesium, which have optimized corrosion resistance. This alloyed aluminium is ideal for aluminium shipbuilding or bridge construction. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which aluminium alloys can be used.
4.What are the aluminium alloy types?
For aluminium alloys, the alloying elements magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) can be used, which are added to the pure aluminium for production. This has resulted in the classification of the so-called wrought aluminium alloys 1xxx for pure aluminium, 2xxx for copper, 3xxx for manganese, 4xxx for silicon, 5xxx for magnesium, 6xxx for magnesium and silicon and 7xxx for zinc.
In addition to wrought aluminium alloys, there are also cast aluminium alloys, between which a further distinction can be made. More than 400 wrought alloys and 200 cast alloys are currently known. The most frequently used aluminium alloys include 6060, 5754, 7075, 5083 and 6082.
