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Information
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Aluminum Alloy
2.1 Definition
2.2 Alloy Numbers
3. Tempering
3.1 Definition
3.2 Temper Letters
1-Introduction
2. Aluminum Alloy (AA)
• What is aluminum alloy?
An aluminum alloy is an alloy primarily of pure aluminum, mixed with
different alloying elements that give rise to an entire range of materials,
each of which is designed to maximize a particular characteristics such as
strength, ductility, formability, machinability, or electrical conductivity.
• Alloy numbers
These numbers refer to a specific chemical composition of the aluminum
alloy – the “recipe” of the metal. Pure aluminum is not a very useful
product in any structural work – aluminum products almost without
exception are produced from batches of pure aluminum mixed with a
number of alloying elements. For example, an aluminum alloy that is
easily extruded, maybe difficult to machine, or an alloy that machines
well, may be difficult to weld, etc. That is why there are so many
different products in so many different alloys.
Common Aluminum Alloy (AA)
• The Alloys
1. Alloy 1100 – A low strength but very workable alloy with excellent
corrosion resistance. It is not heat treatable. It is easily welded,
however it is soft and spalls when machined.
1100-O: Annealed (or “soft”, bendable condition).
1100-H14: Strain Hardened.
2. Alloy 2011 – A free machining, heat treatable alloy, with fair corrosion
resistance, but not easily welded.
2011-T3: Heat treated, cold worked and naturally aged.
3. Alloy 2024 – Heat treatable with high strength , good machinability
and fair corrosion resistance. It welds very poorly.
2024-O: Annealed (or “soft”, bendable condition).
2024-T3: Heat treated, cold worked and naturally aged.
2024-T351: Heat treated, cold worked and naturally aged.
(2024 sheet, plate and extrusions are used extensively for the fuselages
and lower portion of the wings of civilian and military transport aircraft)
Common Aluminum Alloy (AA)
4. Alloy 3003 – This alloy is not heat treatable but welds very
well and has very good workability. Like alloy 1100 it is
somewhat soft and difficult to machine.
3003-H14: Strain hardened. (Commonly for Panel and plates).
3003-H22: Strain hardened, partially annealed.
(3XXX is used for flexible packaging such as frozen food trays,
residential siding and industrial and farm roofing. Also cooking
utensils, gutters and downspouts)
• Temper Letters
The letters that appear after each alloy number refer to the
“temper” of the alloy itself and are independent of the alloy. This
means that a single alloy can be available in a variety of tempers
and a variety of alloys can be available in the same temper.
Temper Letters
1. F temper (as fabricated tempers).
This letter indicates that there has been no effort to control the
temper of the material – you receive it “as is”.