Aluminum & Its Alloys

Aluminum & Its Alloys

Lightweight and versatile material

Thin-rolled aluminum and aluminum alloys from Arnold Precision Thin Metals (PTM) are versatile and lightweight and are used in a variety of electrical products packaging and other applications. Aluminum is often the best solution when reduced weight, good conductivity, and high formability are desirable characteristics. To meet these needs, PTM offers its customers aluminum strip materials in a wide variety of thicknesses and alloy compositions.


KEY APPLICATIONS & USES

  • Batteries
  • Cable and component shielding
  • Packaging
  • Pharmaceutical, cosmetics

AVAILABLE IN ALL GRADES AND TEMPERS

Arnold PTM produces thin and ultra-thin strip in a wide range of aluminum grades in various tempers. The most common grades requested include 1050, 1100, 1145, 2024, 5052, 5056, 6061, and 7075, but we can source and roll all aluminum grades. Contact us to discuss your particular requirements.

The International Alloy Designation System’s four-digit numbering scheme for wrought and cast alloys provides a quick reference for your application needs.

1000 SERIES

Essentially pure aluminum with a minimum 99% aluminum content by weight and can be work hardened.

2000 SERIES

Alloyed with copper, can be precipitation hardened to strengths comparable to steel. Formerly referred to as duralumin, they were once the most common aerospace alloys, but were susceptible to stress corrosion cracking and are increasingly replaced by 7000 series in new designs.

3000 SERIES

Alloyed with manganese and can be work hardened.

4000 SERIES

Alloyed with silicon. Also known as silumin.

5000 SERIES

Alloyed with magnesium.

6000 SERIES

Alloyed with magnesium and silicon, are easy to machine, and can be precipitation hardened, but not to the high strengths that the 2000 and 7000 series alloys can reach.

7000 SERIES

Alloyed with zinc, and can be precipitation hardened to the highest strengths of any aluminum alloy.

8000 SERIES

Alloyed with other elements which are not covered by other series. Aluminum-lithium alloys are an example.


DIMENSIONAL

Each is available in a variety of thicknesses and dimensions shown below:

ThicknessMaximum Width
0.025″- 0.0004″ (0.635 – 0.01mm)
17.5” (444.5mm) as rolled edge 17.0” (431.8mm) with a slit edge
0.00039″ – 0.0001″ (0.0099 – 0.0025mm)
4.25” (107.95mm) as rolled edge 4.0” (101.6mm) with a slit edge

ALLOY COMPOSITION OF COMMONLY PROVIDED GRADES

Composition is shown in weight percent (wt%).

GradeAlSiFeCuMgMnCrZn
1050
99.5 min
0.25
0.4
0.05
1100
99.0 min
0.95 Si+Fe
0.05 – 0.20
2024
90.7 – 93.0
0.5
0.5
3.8 – 4.9
1.2 – 1.8
0.30 – 0.9
5052
95.7 – 96.5
0.25
0.4
0.1
2.2 – 2.8
0.15 – 0.35
6061
95.8 – 97.16
0.40 – 0.8
0.7
0.15 – 0.40
0.8 – 1.2
7075
87.12 – 89.82
0.4
0.5
1.2 – 2.0
2.1 – 2.9
5.1 – 6.1

MEASURING IN MICRONS?

Check out the Material Thickness Reference Table