Zirconium is a specified minor addition to a number of high strength wrought aluminum alloys in the international standard AA 7000 series. Zirconium also features in overhead conductor cable alloys exposed to high temperature environments and in certain specialty casting alloys.
The presence of zirconium in aluminum alloys:
- inhibits recrystallization and grain growth at elevated temperatures
- enhances weldability by resisting grain coarsening in the heat
- sensitive zones close to welded joints
- reduces susceptibility to stress corrosion
- reduces sensitivity to quenching rate from solution temperatures
Composition
The following table lists the composition of different types of aluminum zirconium alloys:
| Alloy |
Composition |
CEN-spec |
AA-spec |
Colour code |
| AlZr5 |
5% Zr balance Al |
AM-94000 |
- |
dark blue |
| AlZr6 |
6% Zr balance Al |
- |
H2606 |
dark blue |
| AlZr10 |
10% Zr balance Al |
AM-94002 |
H2600 |
2x dark blue |
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by KBM Affilips.
For more information on this source, please visit KBM Affilips.