Aluminum Properties

Aluminum is with 8% the third most common element on earth after oxygen and silicon. Due to its low density of 2.7g / cm³, it has only one third of the weight of steel and is almost half as heavy as titanium. The weight of the different metals depends primarily on the alloy used. For carbon, the weight is mainly dependent on the resin mixture used.

Aluminum Density / Specific Gravity:

Steel:               7,5g – 8,5g / cm³

Titanium:         4,5g – 4,8g / cm³

Aluminum:       2,7g / cm³

Carbon:           1,5g / cm³

An aluminum alloy united very many advantages. Compared to steel, aluminum is very light (aluminum density = 2.7g / cm³) and at the same time very strong. It can be hardened and many high-strength alloys with specific properties are available. For many applications the strength is sufficient and due to the advantages of an aluminum alloy it is often the best choice of material.

Further advantages are the insensitivity to temperature fluctuations, it is UV-resistant, corrosion-resistant, electrically conductive, hygienic and magnetically neutral. As a surface finish, aluminum can be powder coated or anodized in almost any color. Passivation is also possible, it has the advantage that the surface is electrically conductive. For many applications this is a very important property.

In der folgenden Tabelle stellen wir die Eigenschaften von Aluminium und Stahl gegenüber. Bei vielen Eigenschaften ist das Material Aluminium besser als Stahl. Wobei man auch klar sagen muss, dass bei einigen Anwendungen kein Weg an Stahl vorbeigeht.

Aluminum alloys have various specific properties that combine advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the application, it is advisable to use the right alloy and thus take advantage of the benefits.

Aluminum alloys are mainly composed of the following elements:

• Magnesium (Mg)
• Silicon (Si)
• Manganese (Mn)
• Zinc (Zn)
• copper (Ku)

The various elements change the properties of aluminum alloys as follows.

 In the following table you will find an overview of the various common aluminum alloys and the aluminum properties, as far as machining is concerned. We have evaluated the topics of aluminum forming, aluminum machining, aluminum welding, aluminum corrosion and aluminum anodizing in a table.

In the following table you will find the physical properties of aluminum alloys clearly listed.

• Aluminum Hardness in (Brinell)
• Aluminum tensile strength in (N/mm²)
• Aluminum yield strength in (N/mm²)
• Aluminum thermal conductivity in(W/cm°C)    Conversion: 1 W/cm°C = 100 W/mk