5456 (AlMg5Mn1, A95456) Aluminum
5456 aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5456 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5456. AlMg5Mn1 is the EN chemical designation. And A95456 is the UNS number.
It originally received its standard designation in 1956. This material is well established: the Further Reading section below cites a number of published standards, and that list is not necessarily exhaustive.
The properties of 5456 aluminum include six common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare 5456 aluminum to: 5000-series alloys (top), all aluminum alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
11 to 18 %
Fatigue Strength
130 to 210 MPa 19 to 31 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
190 to 210 MPa 28 to 30 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
320 to 340 MPa 46 to 50 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
150 to 250 MPa 22 to 37 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
390 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
65 °C 150 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
190 °C 370 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
570 °C 1060 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 68 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
29 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
97 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
9.0 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1170 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
33 to 46 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
170 to 470 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
33 to 35 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
38 to 40 points
Thermal Diffusivity
48 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
14 to 15 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5456 aluminum is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of magnesium (Mg). Magnesium promotes hardenability through both heat treatment and strain hardening mechanisms. It also increases susceptibility to intergranular corrosion.
| Al | 92 to 94.8 | |
| Mg | 4.7 to 5.5 | |
| Mn | 0.5 to 1.0 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Cr | 0.050 to 0.2 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B928: Standard Specification for High Magnesium Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate for Marine Service
ASTM B210: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Drawn Seamless Tubes
ASTM B221: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes
ASTM B209: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
EN 485-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Sheet, strip and plate. Mechanical properties
Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013
ISO 6361-2: Wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys - Sheets, strips and plates - Part 2: Mechanical properties
EN 573-3: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Chemical composition and form of wrought products. Chemical composition and form of products
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993