Aluminum

Aluminum is a desirable metal for many reasons, one example being its ability to remain strong in extremely cold environments where other metals become brittle. Aluminum scrap is very recyclable, and doing so saves 90% of the energy required to separate it from bauxite. Aluminum suppliers offer several different grades of aluminum alloys, each with different properties, strengths and applications. These include 6061 aluminum, the most commonly used type, 7075 aluminum, which produces aircraft aluminum, and aluminum 1100, which is among the purest aluminum alloys. Aluminum suppliers produce many different aluminum shapes; they are used in the construction of a wide variety of machinery, buildings, transportation vehicles and consumer products, including aluminum coils, aluminum strip, aluminum tubing, aluminum plates, aluminum bars and aluminum sheet. They also manufacture different aluminum products, such as aluminum pipes, aluminum wire and aluminum rods, all of which are components in industrial and commercial goods.

As far as aluminum supply, the element is plentiful in the earth's crust, but the metal occurs very rarely in its pure, elemental state. Aluminum is commonly extracted from bauxite ore and then separated from the other elements to produce alumina, a white powder that is essentially aluminum oxide. Further processing through smelting purifies the aluminum to around 99.97%. The aluminum oxide is almost always combined with other metals to form alloys with different properties and applications. One of the most frequently used is 6061 Aluminum, which contains magnesium and silicon. It is a general purpose metal that is wieldable, heat treatable and may be cold worked or annealed. 6061 Aluminum is used to make truck and marine components and pipelines. 7075 aluminum is very strong and corrosion resistant and alloyed with zinc. It has good fatigue strength, but because of this it is not wieldable. This aluminum alloy is not common, and therefore costs more than others. It is used mainly in aircraft construction, bicycle construction and to manufacture sports equipment for rock climbers and lacrosse players. Aluminum 1100 is a very soft alloy, and it is one of the most pure alloys. It has low strength and is therefore very wieldable and formable. It cannot be hardened by heat treatment and is used to make chemical equipment and railroad tank cars.

Aluminum can be made into a wide variety of shapes and materials that are used in the automotive, aerospace, engineering, transportation, marine, architectural and chemical industries and are components in the production of many different commercial and industrial products. It is used in construction to build windows, roofs, doors and siding, and it provides building insulation. Aluminum is also used in packaging, making soft drink and beer cans, in foil for food storage and in a large variety of consumer goods such as appliances, cooking utensils, pots and pans. It is often an ingredient in antacids. It is also used to make irrigation pipes, armor protection for military vehicles and aircraft wings. Additionally, aluminum conducts electricity almost as well as copper and therefore can be found in overhead power lines and transport cables. In automobiles, aluminum is advantageous because it absorbs shock well and does not rust.

Many methods exist to process aluminum. Aluminum suppliers can use rolling to produce aluminum coils, plates, strips and sheets. During the rolling process, the aluminum becomes less brittle and more ductile. Rolling is also capable of creating very thin products. Roll forming can also produce hollow products like aluminum tubing and pipes by using specially shaped rollers. Stamp pressing, a process where flat aluminum sheets are shaped into parts by a die cavity and enormous amounts of pressure, is also used to form some aluminum shapes. In the extrusion method, aluminum billets are heated and pushed through a metal die under great pressure to create shapes such as bars and rods. Further fabrication of the aluminum supply can be done upon completion, such as cutting to length, drilling and machining. Forgings are created by hammering, pounding or squeezing the aluminum into parts. Casting involves two methods. One is sand casting, in which a temporary sand mold is created to make a part. The other is die casting, where the mold is permanent and is usually cast iron or steel. This is the most widely used method of aluminum forming, and it involves pouring molten aluminum directly into the mold. Aluminum supply can also be bent, made into a powder, joined by welding or milled, depending on the desired product.

Images Provided by Yarde MetalsTM, Inc.

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Aluminum Types

• 6061 Aluminum is an aluminum alloy, the primary alloying components of which are aluminum, magnesium and silicon. 
• 7075 Aluminum is an alloy that is composed primarily of aluminum and zinc.
• Aluminum is a metallic element with the atomic number 13.
• Aircraft aluminum is the term used to describe aluminum alloys that are intended for use in the construction of aircraft components.
• Aluminum 1100 is an aluminum alloy that is characterized by its very high aluminum content compared to other alloys; 1100 aluminum can feature aluminum purity of 99.6%.
• Aluminum bars and aluminum rods are solid, straight, uniform products of aluminum that can be extruded. These products can have cross-sections in a variety of shapes, from circular to triangular, square and more.
  
• Aluminum coil and aluminum wire are aluminum products with uniform cross-sections that are available in several shapes. Products are most often supplied in coil form.
  
• Aluminum foil is formed by rolling, and it is generally less than .2 mm thick. Aluminum foil is generally used in the packaging industry as well as in electrical applications.
  
• Aluminum pipe is tubing made out of aluminum.
  
• Aluminum plate consists of rolled aluminum with a thickness greater than 6 mm. Plate is used as a component in bridges and buildings.
  
• Aluminum powder is used in paints, explosives and chemical applications.
  
• Aluminum profiles are extruded products of a uniform cross-section that are most often straight in length but can also be coiled.
• Aluminum rods are cylindrical, solid aluminum shapes used in a wide variety of applications.
• Aluminum sheet is formed from the rolling process, with a thickness of between .2 mm and 6 mm. Aluminum sheet is used in the construction and transport industries.
  
• Aluminum strip is a long sheet of metal with a length many times its width.
• Aluminum suppliers are companies that sell minimally processed aluminum to metalworking, manufacturing and other operations.
• Aluminum tubing is a hollow aluminum product.
• Aluminum wire is wire made of aluminum.
  

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Aluminum Grades

Material	Tensile Strength at Break (MPa)	Tensile Strength, Yield (MPa)	Modulus of Elasticity (ksi)
All Aluminum Alloys	0.700 - 1600	1.24 - 750	6.96 - 49600
1000 Series Aluminum	45.0 - 205	10.0 - 165	8990 - 10000
2000 Series Aluminum Alloy	172 - 550	68.9 - 520	10200 - 11300
3000 Series Aluminum Alloy	90.0 - 295	31.0 - 285	10000 - 10200
4000 Series Aluminum Alloy	145 - 427	70.0 - 393	11200 - 13100
5000 Series Aluminum Alloy	110 - 450	40.0 - 435	10000 - 10400
6000 Series Aluminum Alloy	89.6 - 478	40.0 - 455	9720 - 10200
7000 Series Aluminum Alloy	70.0 - 750	69.0 - 725	9720 - 10600
Aluminum Casting Alloy	110 - 485	41.4 - 435	9570 - 11800
Aluminum 1100-H112	75.0 - 90.0	20.0 - 50.0	69
Aluminum 1100-H12	95.0 - 130	75.0 - 103	68.9
Aluminum 1100-H14	110 - 145	95.0 - 117	68.9
Aluminum 1100-H16	130 - 165	115 - 138	68.9
Aluminum 1100-H18	150 - 165	150 - 152	68.9
Aluminum 1100-H19 Foil	205	165	69
Aluminum 1100-O	75.0 - 105	20.0 - 34.5	68.9
Aluminum 6061-O	124	55.2	68.9
Aluminum 6061-T4; 6061-T451	241	145	68.9
Aluminum 6061-T6; 6061-T651	310	276	68.9
Aluminum 6061-T8	310	276	69
Aluminum 6061-T91	405	395	69
Aluminum 6061-T913	460	455	69
Aluminum 7075-O	228 - 276	103 - 145	71.7
Aluminum 7075-T6; 7075-T651	462 - 572	372 - 503	71.7
Aluminum 7075-T73; 7075-T735x	441 - 505	338 - 435	72
Aluminum 7075-T76; 7075-T7651	490 - 503	414 - 427	71

*These figures are guidelines based on industry research; they should not be presumed accurate under all circumstances and are not a substitute for certified measurements. The information is not to be interpreted as absolute material properties nor does it constitute a representation or warranty for which we assume legal liability. User shall determine suitability of the material for the intended use and assumes all risk and liability whatsoever in connection therewith.

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Aluminum Terms Alloy - The combination of a metal and at least one other element. Alloying Element - An element that is added to another metal in order to change its properties and characteristics. Alumina - In other words, aluminum oxide. Aluminothermy - A reaction between crushed aluminum and a metal oxide, which produces a large amount of heat and creates a metal. Aluminum Dross - A byproduct of aluminum melting that contains impurities and is often reused in secondary aluminum production. Annealing - The process of treating an aluminum alloy with heat in order to soften it. Anodizing - The process of coating a material with a protective film through electrolysis. Bayer Process - The method that is used to extract alumina from bauxite ore. Bauxite - The main ore from which aluminum is extracted using the Bayer process. Bend Test - A test that determines the toughness of a metal through bending. Billet - A cast, cylindrical piece of aluminum that is used to make extrusions. Blank - A piece of metal that is cut or formed into a shape to prepare for further processing. Casting - The process of pouring molten aluminum into a mold shaped like the final product (http://www.iqsdirectory.com/die-castings/). Conductivity - A metal's ability to conduct electricity. Aluminum is a good conductor and therefore is often used in wires. Degassing - The process of reducing the level of hydrogen in molten aluminum. Ductility - A metal's ability to deform elastically and plastically without breaking. Extrusion - The process of deforming solid aluminum by forcing a cylindrical billet through a die to create a product with a consistent cross-section. Forging - The process of deforming solid aluminum into a product by hammering or squeezing it into a die. Formability - A measure of a metal's ease of being deformed. Foundry - A place that melts and casts metals into various shapes. Hall-Heroult Process - The post-Bayer process in which the aluminum oxide becomes aluminum metal. Heat Treatment - The process of using heat to alter the properties of aluminum. Reflectivity - A metal's ability to reflect heat, radar and radio waves. Aluminum is a good reflector and thus is used in radio antennae. Rolling - The process of squeezing aluminum between two rollers to create flat plate, sheet or foil (http://www.iqsdirectory.com/roll-forming). Smelting - The process by which molten aluminum is produced from alumina. Thermal Conductivity - A metal's ability to carry heat. Aluminum is the most efficient at this of all the common metals.