An Intro to the Different Types of Aluminum

Aluminum emerged during the 19th century. At the time, it was a wonder metal that supplanted copper, brass, and iron, gaining more popular use for creating many everyday objects, jewelry, and cookware. However, the full potential of aluminum could only be realized through the process of alloying, which enhances its natural capabilities. By combining pure aluminum with other elements, its strength, corrosion resistance, and cost-effectiveness can be significantly improved.?

Today, hundreds of different aluminum alloys exist, each precisely engineered to fulfill very specific tasks. Anchor Harvey primarily works with three series of aluminum alloys: 7000, 6000, and 2000.? We employ advanced engineering tools to tailor the chemical composition of each base alloy, precisely matching it to the requirements of various applications.

Pure Aluminum

To appreciate the benefits of aluminum alloying, it is important to understand the properties of elemental aluminum. Commercially available “pure” aluminum is often categorized as 1050, 1060, 1070, 1145, or 1199 series, which denote varying degrees of purity. Let's explore some key attributes of pure aluminum:

• Strength: Pure aluminum typically exhibits low mechanical strength and is prone to bending or deformation.
• Resistance: When exposed to the environment, pure aluminum forms a thin layer of aluminum oxide on its surface, protecting the inner material from corrosion.
• Conductivity: Pure aluminum possesses excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, enabling its use in applications such as wiring and heat sinks, although the former is becoming less common.
• Work hardening: Pure aluminum tends to work harden easily, making it challenging to machine and unsuitable for applications where material deformation may occur.

7000 Series

7000 series aluminum is a series of alloys that feature Zinc as the primary alloying element. Zinc is an abundant material that gives strength and corrosion resistance. The 7000 series also commonly include Magnesium and Copper, with occasional use of Manganese, Chromium, Zirconium, and Titanium. 7000 series aluminum is often highly ductile without sacrificing significant strength, is resistant to impact damage, fatigue, and corrosion, and can undergo heat treatment to reach a desired level of hardness.

Anchor Harvey commonly produces 7075 series aluminum , composed of 90% Aluminum with 5.6-6.1% Zinc, 2.1-2.5% Magnesium, 1.2-1.6% Copper, and approximately 0.5% of Silicon, Iron, Manganese, Titanium, Chromium, and other trace metals. 7075 material exhibits all the common properties of 7000 series aluminum and is primarily used in structural applications for aerospace and other high-stress applications for the maritime, automotive, and bicycle industries.

6000 Series

The 6000 series aluminum primary alloying elements are Magnesium and Silicon, with minor elements such as Iron, Copper, and Manganese, and the occasional use of Bismuth, Zirconium, and Zinc. Silicon is extremely resistant to heat, and Magnesium offers a high strength-to-weight ratio while maintaining workability. 6000 series aluminum alloys are versatile, accepting many different types of heat treatment. In addition, they are machinable, weldable, and highly corrosion-resistant.

6061 series aluminum is one of the most common aluminum alloys, seen in various applications as a general-use material.? Anchor Harvey produces a number of different heat treatments for 6061 material, including 6061-T4 and 6061-T6. These heat treatments make a final product with excellent physical strength properties, making them useful for aircraft frames, bicycles, fishing reels, rifles, dockyard materials, vacuum chambers, modeling, hobby aircraft, radio equipment, and ladders.?

As a general-use material, 6061 material is even featured on the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft in the gold-anodized plaques.

2000 Series

The 2000 series of aluminum alloys are primarily alloyed with copper, with accompanying materials such as Silicon, Zirconium, Magnesium, Lithium, Manganese, Silver, and Titanium. 2000 series materials are produced for their extreme hardness, capable of matching some grades of steel when properly precipitation hardened.

For those applications requiring extreme strength and performance, Anchor Harvey uses alloys like 2024 and 2014 series . These alloys provide extreme strength, good machinability, and acceptable cold workability, with multiple complex heat treatments. These alloys are used in structural applications, heavy industry, truck frames, carriage frames, and any other situation requiring extreme strength without the extreme weight of steel.

The Right Alloy for the Right Product

Anchor Harvey is a data-driven aluminum forging house that is exceptionally knowledgeable about aluminum alloying and forging. We can use our forging simulation software to predict the material flow, specific to your part, with any of the common Aluminum alloys.? If you’re looking for a supplier of forged aluminum parts, Anchor Harvey has what you need. Start designing your custom component today.