Sep 21 2012
Topics Covered
Introduction
Chemical Composition
Physical Properties
Mechanical Properties
Thermal Properties
Other Designations
Fabrication and Heat Treatment
Machinability
Forming
Welding
Hot Working
Cold Working
Annealing
Hardening
Applications
Introduction
Aluminum alloys have strong corrosion resistance. They are sensitive
to high temperatures ranging between 200 and 250°C (392 and 482°F), and
can lose some of their strength. However, the strength of the aluminum
alloys can be increased at subzero temperatures, making them suitable
low-temperature alloys.
Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy has good strength and is useful for
structural purposes because of its weldable characteristics. The
following datasheet will provide more details about Aluminium /
Aluminum 5456 alloy.
Chemical Composition
The following table shows the chemical composition of Aluminium /
Aluminum 5456 alloy.
| Element |
Content
(%) |
| Aluminium / Aluminum, Al |
93.9 |
| Magnesium, Mg |
5.1 |
| Chromium, Cr |
0.12 |
| Manganese, Mn |
0.8 |
Physical Properties
The physical properties of Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy are
outlined in the following table.
| Properties |
Metric |
Imperial |
| Density |
2.66 g/cm3 |
0.3489 lb/in³ |
Mechanical Properties
The mechanical properties of Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy are
tabulated below.
| Properties |
Metric |
Imperial |
| Elastic modulus |
70-80 Gpa |
10152-11603 ksi |
| Poisson’s ratio |
0.33 |
0.33 |
Thermal Properties
The thermal properties of Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy are
tabulated below.
| Properties |
Conditions |
| T
(ºC) |
Treatment |
| Thermal conductivity |
116 W/mK |
25 |
ALL |
| Thermal expansion |
23.9 x 10-6/ºC |
20-100 |
- |
Other Designations
Equivalent materials to Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy are as
follows:
- ASTM B209
- ASTM B210
- ASTM B221
- ASTM B241
- ASTM B548
- MIL S-24149/2
- QQ A-200/7
- QQ A250/9
- SAE J454
Fabrication and Heat Treatment
Machinability
Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy has poor machinability. If machining
is performed, oil lubricants and carbide tooling should be used.
Forming
Formability of Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy is more difficult
than the other Aluminium / Aluminum alloys. It should not be
extensively cold worked.
Welding
Arc welding is the preferred welding method for Aluminium / Aluminum
5456 alloy, thus making it useful structural applications. Gas welding
can also be used but results are not as good as arc welding.
Hot Working
Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy can be hot worked at 218°C (425°F).
This helps in avoiding the impact of high stress on extensively cold
worked shapes.
Cold Working
Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy has good cold working capacity but
extensive cold working (over 20% reduction) should be avoided as this
causes stress corrosion cracking when temperatures reach 66°C (150°F).
Annealing
Annealing of Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy can be performed at
343°C (650°F). This should be followed by air cooling.
Hardening
Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy can be hardened only by cold working
(limited).
Applications
Aluminium / Aluminum 5456 alloy is widely used in the manufacture of
the following products:
- Marine applications
- High strength welded structures
- Pressure vessels
This alloy is also used in storage tanks.