Alloy 5005, available as architectural sheet and components, was introduced in 1935 to fill the need of the mobile-home industry for a lightweight, inexpensive, workable, corrosion-resistant siding material. This datasheet provides information on composition limits, mill product specifications, processing effects on physical and mechanical properties, and fabrication characteristics of this 5xxx series alloy.

This article provides a comprehensive matrix for selecting an aluminum filler alloy for the gas tungsten arc and gas metal arc welding processes, based on the various requirements or service conditions. A table lists the nominal strengths of aluminum filler metals.

The general-purpose alloy 5050 is a binary aluminum-magnesium alloy with more magnesium content than 5005. This datasheet provides information on key alloy metallurgy, processing effects on physical and mechanical properties, and fabrication characteristics of this 5xxx series alloy.

The aluminum alloy 4043 is recommended as a filler metal when resistance to salt water corrosion is required, especially when welding such aluminum alloys as 5052, 6061, and 6063. This datasheet provides information on key alloy metallurgy, and processing effects on tensile properties of this 4xxx series alloy.

Aluminum and its alloys can be joined by as many or more methods than any other metal. This article discusses the properties of aluminum, namely hydrogen solubility, electrical conductivity, and thermal characteristics. It analyses the primary factors commonly considered when selecting a welding filler alloy. These include ease of welding or freedom from cracking, tensile or shear strength of the weld, weld ductility, service temperature, corrosion resistance, and color match between the weld and base alloy after anodizing. The article provides a detailed description of gas-shielded arc welding processes for welding of aluminum alloys and also reviews other welding processes such as oxyfuel gas welding and laser-beam welding.

The most widely accepted alloy and temper designation system for aluminum and its alloys is maintained by the Aluminum Association and recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the American National Standard Alloy and Temper Designation Systems for Aluminum (ANSI H35.1). This article provides a detailed discussion on the alloy and temper designation system for aluminum and its alloys. The Aluminum Association alloy designations are grouped as wrought and cast alloys. Lengthy tables provide information on alloying elements in wrought aluminum and aluminum alloys; nominal composition of aluminum alloy castings; typical mechanical properties of wrought and cast aluminum alloys in various temper conditions; and cross references to former and current cast aluminum alloy designations.

Commercial aluminum alloys are classified based on how they are made and what they contain. This article describes the ANSI H35.1 designation system, which is widely used to classify wrought and cast aluminum alloys. The ANSI standard uses a four-digit numbering system to identify alloying elements, compositional modifications, purity levels, and product types. It also uses a multicharacter code to convey process-related details on heat treating, hardening, cooling, cold working, and other stabilization treatments. The article includes several large tables that provide extensive information on aluminum alloy and temper designations and how they correspond to critical mechanical properties as well as other designation systems.

This article contains a table that lists the thermal conductivity of selected metals and alloys near room temperature. These include aluminum and aluminum alloys; copper and copper alloys; iron and iron alloys; lead and lead alloys; magnesium and magnesium alloys; nickel and nickel alloys; tin and tin alloys; titanium and titanium alloys; zinc and zinc alloys; and pure metals.

This article is a comprehensive collection of property data for wrought aluminum and aluminum alloys. Data are provided for the physical properties and mechanical properties of wrought aluminum and aluminum alloys. The listing also includes values that indicate the effect of temperatures on tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation, and the mechanical properly limits for aluminum alloy die forgings, non-heat-treatable and heat-treatable aluminum alloy sheets and plates, and non-heat-treatable aluminum alloy extruded wires, rods, bars, and shapes.

This article presents a table that lists the linear thermal expansion of selected metals and alloys. These include aluminum, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, tin, titanium, and zinc and their alloys. Thermal expansion is presented for specific temperature ranges.

Weldability is a function of three major factors: base material quality, welding process, and design. This article focuses on base-metal weldability of aluminum alloys in terms of mechanical property degradation in both the weld region and heat-affected zone, weld porosity, and susceptibility to solidification cracking and liquation cracking. It provides an overview on welding processes, including gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, resistance spot and seam welding, laser beam welding, and various solid-state welding processes. A review on joint design is also included, mainly in the general factors associated with service weldability (fitness). The article also provides a discussion on the selection and weldability of non-heat-treatable aluminum alloys, heat treatable aluminum alloys, aluminum-lithium alloys, and aluminum metal-matrix composites.

This article describes the effects of cyclic fatigue properties on aluminum alloys. It provides a discussion on strain-control fatigue and the effects of two microstructural features on the strain life of aluminum alloys: shearable precipitates and precipitate-free zones. The article discusses various models of fatigue crack growth (FCG) and the effects of alloy microstructure and composition on FCG.

This article begins with a discussion on the classification of aluminum alloys and the selection of alloy and temper based on machinability. It provides an overview of cutting force and power, tool design and material, and general machining conditions. In addition, the article discusses distortion and dimensional variation and machining problems during the machining of high-silicon aluminum alloy. It also provides information on tool design and material, speed and feed, and the cutting fluid used for various machining processes, namely, turning, boring, planing and shaping, broaching, reaming, tapping, milling, sawing, grinding, honing, and lapping. The article concludes with a discussion on drilling operations in automatic bar and chucking machines and drill presses.

Macroetching is a procedure for revealing the large-scale structure of a metallic specimen, that is, the structure visible with the unaided eye, by etching an appropriately prepared surface. This article provides information on the basic procedures for macroetching as well as the apparatus used. It discusses selected etchants for efficient macroetching of various metals and their alloys, including iron, steel, high-alloy steels, stainless steels, high-temperature alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, and copper alloys. The article also describes various conditions that are revealed by the macroetching of aluminum.

Aluminum mill products are those that have been subjected to plastic deformation by hot- and cold-working mill processes such as rolling, extruding, and drawing, either singly or in combination. Microstructural changes associated with the working and with any accompanying thermal treatments are used to control certain properties and characteristics of the worked, or wrought, product or alloy. This article discusses the designation system, classification, product forms, corrosion and fabrication characteristics, and applications of wrought aluminum alloys. Commercial wrought aluminum products are divided into flat-rolled products (sheet, plate, and foil); rod, bar, and wire; tubular products; shapes; and forgings. The article discusses factors affecting the strengthening mechanisms, fracture toughness, and physical properties of aluminum alloys, in addition to the effects of alloying on the physical and mechanical properties. Important alloying elements and impurities are listed alphabetically as a concise review of major effects.

Aluminum wrought products, castings, welds, and fasteners are used in many structural applications where they are required to safely support a load. It is useful to design aluminum structural components with its structural properties in mind from conceptualization rather than attempting to mimic components of other materials. This article discusses design specifications, design requirements and methods, and material properties used in aluminum structural design. These properties include tensile yield strength and tensile ultimate strength, welding, and ductility. The article describes various factors that affect the strength of two categories of aluminum structural components, namely members and connections. Design requirements for aluminum bolts, rivets, screws, and pins are provided. The article concludes with a discussion on the considerations for serviceability, namely deflections and vibrations.

This article provides an overview of fatigue and fracture resistance of aluminum alloys. It discusses the characteristics of aluminum alloy classes and the fracture mechanics of aluminum alloys. The article tabulates relative stress-corrosion cracking ratings for high-strength wrought aluminum products. It analyzes the selection of various alloys for stress-corrosion cracking resistance, including aluminum-lithium alloys, copper-free 7XXX alloys, and casting alloys. The article presents a list of typical tensile properties and fatigue limit of aluminum alloys. It also describes the effects of composition, microstructure, thermal treatments, and processing in fatigue crack growth of aluminum alloys.

This article contains a table that lists the density of metals and alloys. It presents information on aluminum, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel, tin, titanium, and zinc, an their respective alloys. Information on wrought alloys, permanent magnet materials, precious metals, and rare earth metals is also listed.

Density allows for the conversion of uniform corrosion rates from units of weight (or mass) loss per unit area per time to thickness per unit time. This article contains a table that lists the density of metals, such as aluminum, copper, iron, stainless steel, magnesium, and lead, and their alloys.