Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys

GENERAL PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICS:

workability, light weight, corrosion resistance,
good electrical and thermal conductivity and optical reflectivity
nearly limitless array of available finishes.
Commercially Pure Aluminium
soft, ductile, and not very strong
Has only about one-fifth the strength of hot-rolled structural
steel.
is used primarily for its physical rather than its mechanical
properties.
Aluminium for Mechanical Applications
used in the form of alloys
superior to steel and other structural metals, but wear, creep,
and fatigue properties are generally rather poor
have a finite fatigue life at all reasonable values of applied stress
rapidly lose their strength and dimensions change by creep when
temperature is increased
Corrosion Resistance Of Aluminium and its Alloys
very reactive and forms a tight, adherent oxide coating on the
surface as soon as it is exposed to air
resistant to many corrosive media and serves as a corrosionresistant barrier to protect the underlying metal
The corrosion resistance of aluminium is actually a property of
the oxide, not the metal itself.
Classification System
Aluminium alloys can be divided into two major groups based on
the method of fabrication. These are:
Wrought Alloys - those that are shaped as solids and are
therefore designed to have attractive forming
characteristics, such as low yield strength, high ductility,
good fracture resistance, and good strain hardening
Casting Alloys - achieve their shape as they solidify in
molds or dies.
Wrought Aluminium Alloys

 Generally identified using the standard four-digit designation

system for aluminium.
Often divided into two basic types: those that achieve strength
by solid-solution strengthening and cold working, and those that
can be strengthened by heat treatment (age hardening)
Major Alloying Elements:
Aluminium
Copper
Manganese
Silicon
Magnesium
Magnesium and silicon
Zinc
Other element

Aluminium Casting Alloys

cast in considerable quantity by a variety of processes
characterized by a low melting point and high as cast strength
designed to have lower coefficients of thermal expansion (or
contraction) because the molds offer restraint to the dimensional
changes that occur upon cooling
Major Alloying Element
Aluminium
Copper
Silicon with Copper and/or Magnesium
Silicon
Magnesium
Zinc
Tin
Other elemnts
Aluminium- Lithium Alloys
Higher strength, greater stiffness, and lighter weight
Good resistance to fatigue crack propagation.
Targeted as advanced materials for aerospace technology
primarily because of their low density, high specific modulus, and
excellent fatigue and cryogenic toughness properties.
Aluminium Foam

 known as stabilized aluminium foam

can be made by mixing ceramic particles with molten aluminium
and blowing gas into the mixture