Aluminum is one of the five most commonly used metals in the world, known for its lightweight, high strength, and productiveness. Technically, it is advanced in terms of alloying and forming while also being cost-effective, especially when compared with titanium and composites. Aluminum alloys like Aluminum 2014 are just being used for civil aircrafts but it is also used for high-performance military jets. In fact, it is the most used metal in the aerospace industry.

Characteristics and Features of Aluminum

• Considerable lightweight

• Ultimate tensile strength of commercially pure aluminum - 90MPa approx.

• Better strength-to-weight ratio

• Perfectly formable

• Non-magnetic and non-sparking

• Cold working helps to double its strength

• Few aluminum alloys like QQ-A-200/2 can also be heat treated to improve hardness and strength.

• Strength, toughness, and ductility of aluminum improve at below zero-degree temperatures.

• Generally, aluminum alloys can keep their strength at temperatures as high as 500°F / 260°C.

• Anti-corrosion mechanism is also found in many aluminum alloys, such as 2014-T6511.

• Aluminum forms a microscopic oxide coating when exposed to air that protects it from environmental changes.

• Aluminum alloys are available in all common forms like bar, sheet, and plate.

• A sheet of aluminum alloy can be drawn, formed, spun, or stamped.

• Many cast or wrought aluminum alloys can be brazed, welded, or even soldered to meet the requirements.

• Finishes, both chemical and mechanical, can be used on aluminum.

• Aluminum alloys are also used as electrical conductors as they have high electrical conductivity.

• For the aerospace industry, aluminum alloy 2024 is the most widely used aluminum alloy, followed by Aluminum 2014.

Aluminum is commonly alloyed with these elements:

• Silicon is perfect in metallic alloys used for casting as it increases the fluidity of the melt, reduces the melting temperature, and is cost-effective. Silicon is used in aluminum alloys like A360, 383, 384, and 413.

• Manganese is added to aluminum to improve strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance. When Manganese is combined with Iron, it can transform Iron-rich needles into plates, thus increasing ductility.

• Magnesium is a common element added to a broad range of alloys, including aluminum alloys. This is because it increases strength without inhibiting the favorable characteristics of the base metal. When magnesium is added to aluminum, it improves strength, corrosion resistance, and weldability characteristics.

• Aluminum-copper alloys typically contain between 2 to 10% copper which in return provides a substantial increase in strength and facilitates precipitation hardening. Copper addition to aluminum can also reduce ductility and corrosion resistance.

• When added to aluminum, zinc highly increases strength and permits precipitation hardening. However, some of these alloys can be vulnerable to stress corrosion cracking and so are not commonly fusion welded. Other alloys within this series are mostly fusion welded with perfect results.

Conclusion: Now that you have known all the major characteristics and features of aluminum, you could be able to decide if it’s suitable for your use. Aluminum alloys have different favorable properties that suit to needs of many industries including the aerospace industry. Therefore, choosing this metal will be a decision you’ll be proud of. Just be careful while choosing the supplier to ensure that you get the highest quality products. Select FlightMetals, the premier supplier of aluminum products like AMS 4121, QQ-A-200/2, 2014-T6511, 2219-T851, AMS QQ-A-250/30, Aluminum 2014, and AMS 4599 to get competitively priced and high-quality products.