duralumin, strong, hard, lightweight alloy of aluminum, widely used in aircraft construction, discovered

and patented in 1910 by Alfred Wilm, a German metallurgist; it was originally made only at Dren in Germany. The original composition has been varied for particular applications; it may contain about 3 or 4 percent copper, 1/2 to 1 percent manganese, 1/2 to 1 1/2 percent magnesium, and, in some formulations, some silicon. Afterheat treatment and aging, these alloys are comparable to soft steel in strength. Duralumin alloys are relatively soft, ductile, and workable in the normal state; they may be rolled, forged, extruded, or drawn into a variety of shapes and products. Their light weight and consequent high strength per unit weight compared to steel suit them for aircraft construction. Because duralumin loses strength in welding, a special laminated sheet form called alclad is used for aircraft construction; it has thin surface layers of pure aluminum or a corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy covering the strong duralumin core.

DURALUMIN. An aluminium alloy discovered by A. Wilm and originally made at Duren in Germany. It possesses the val uable property of being greatly strengthened by heat treatment, as steel is hardened by quenching and tempering. In addition to 94% aluminium, 4% of copper and 1% of manganese, duralumin con tains 1% of magnesium and owes its special qualities to the asso ciation of the last-named component with the silicon always pres ent in aluminium as an impurity. (For a brief explanation see ALUMINIUM ALLOYS.) The original composition has been varied, manganese being sometimes eliminated and sometimes replaced by iron, nickel or chromium, but magnesium and silicon remain as essential constituents, while copper, which itself confers somewhat similar properties on aluminium (see ALUMINIUM ALLOYS), is also generally retained. Special trade names have been applied to some of these later alloys and the whole class is now frequently known as the "Strong Aluminium Alloys." In the normal state these alloys are soft and ductile and may be rolled into sheets and bars or drawn into tubes, angles, etc. Such work hardens them, as all metals, but leaves them like many alu minium alloys, unduly subject to corrosion. Annealing at about 400C. removes this "work hardness," but if the alloys be heated to temperatures which vary with the alloy and its intended use from 45oC.-55oC. and are then plunged into water, although at first softened and, therefore, still capable of being worked, hardening soon commences and continues for several days. By re heating at about 2ooC. the hardening process can be hastened. Heat treated duralumin is comparatively resistant to corrosion. It is ductile (elongation 8-15 % ), will bear a load of 3o,000lb. per square inch without permanent distortion and breaks under a load of 55,000-62,000 lb. per square inch.

As the alloys are light (sp.gr.= 2.85) their strength per unit of weight (specific tenacity) is high (9.3) compared with nickel steel (5.9) and nickel chrome steel (7.2) . These properties make them particularly suitable for aircraft construction, for which they have been used to a very great extent. It may be said that the develop ment of the rigid airship would have been impossible without dura lumin, which is used throughout for the framework of these gigan tic craft (see illustration in article AIRSHIP), whilst all-metal heavier-than-air machines also depend on these alloys. Connect ing rods forged from duralumin find favour for internal combus tion engines, whilst an alloy in which nickel replaces manganese (Y alloy) is used for the pistons of the large Diesel engines of sub marines, for which it is particularly suited, because it can be cast to shape and retains its strength at comparatively high tern peratures. Like aluminium and its other alloys duralumin cannot be effec tively soldered since joints so made corrode rapidly, nor can it be welded without losing the special properties to which it owes its utility. To all ordinary fabricating processes as spinning, pressing, riveting, machining, etc., duralumin lends itself perfectly. For a full account of these alloys see R. J. Anderson, The Metallurgy of Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys, where an extensive bibliography will be found. (R. S.)
(Britannica)