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6151 Aluminum

6151 aluminum is a 6000-series aluminum alloy: there is significant alloying with both magnesium and silicon, and the alloy is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 6151 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6151. Additionally, the UNS number is A96151.

It has been in use since 1928, but has only received its standard designation in 1954.

It can have the lowest ductility among the 6000-series alloys in the database.

The properties of 6151 aluminum include two common variations. This page shows summary ranges across both of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare 6151 aluminum to: 6000-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

69 GPa 10 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

1.1 to 5.7 %

Fatigue Strength

80 to 100 MPa 12 to 15 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

26 GPa 3.8 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

190 to 200 MPa 27 to 29 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

330 to 340 MPa 48 to 49 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

270 to 280 MPa 39 to 41 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

410 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

170 °C 340 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

650 °C 1200 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

590 °C 1090 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

900 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

170 W/m-K 100 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

23 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

45 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

150 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

9.5 % relative

Density

2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

8.2 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

1180 L/kg 140 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

3.5 to 18 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

520 to 580 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

14 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

50 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

34 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

39 points

Thermal Diffusivity

70 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

15 points

Alloy Composition

Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6151 aluminum is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of silicon (Si) and magnesium (Mg). Silicon is used to increase strength at the expense of ductility. It also lowers the melting temperature and raises the fluidity of the alloy. Magnesium promotes hardenability through both heat treatment and strain hardening mechanisms. It also increases susceptibility to intergranular corrosion.

Aluminum (Al)Al 95.6 to 98.8
Silicon (Si)Si 0.6 to 1.2
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0.45 to 0.8
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 1.0
Chromium (Cr)Cr 0.15 to 0.35
Copper (Cu)Cu 0 to 0.35
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.25
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 0.2
Titanium (Ti)Ti 0 to 0.15
Residualsres. 0 to 0.15

All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

ASTM B247: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Die Forgings, Hand Forgings, and Rolled Ring Forgings

Iron in Aluminium Alloys: Impurity and Alloying Element, N. A. Belov et al., 2002

Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013

Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993