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EN AC-45000 (45000-F, AISi6Cu4) Cast Aluminum

EN AC-45000 aluminum is an aluminum alloy formulated for casting. Cited properties are appropriate for the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. 45000 is the EN numeric designation for this material. AISi6Cu4 is the EN chemical designation.

It has a fairly high density among Euronorm (EN) cast aluminums. In addition, it has a fairly low melting temperature and a moderately low electrical conductivity.

The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare EN AC-45000 aluminum to: Euronorm (EN) cast aluminums (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

Brinell Hardness

77

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

73 GPa 11 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

1.1 %

Fatigue Strength

75 MPa 11 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

27 GPa 4.0 x 106 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

180 MPa 26 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

110 MPa 16 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

470 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

180 °C 350 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

640 °C 1180 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

520 °C 970 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

870 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

120 W/m-K 70 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

22 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

27 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

81 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

11 % relative

Density

3.0 g/cm3 180 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

7.7 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

140 MJ/kg 62 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

1070 L/kg 130 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

1.7 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

80 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

14 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

47 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

17 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

24 points

Thermal Diffusivity

47 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

8.0 points

Alloy Composition

Among cast aluminum alloys, the composition of EN AC-45000 aluminum is notable for including chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb). Chromium is used to limit grain growth during hot working or heat treatment, which improves ductility and toughness. Chromium also reduces the alloy's susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking. If the alloy is anodized, the presence of chromium will tend to add a yellow tint to the film. Lead is used to improve machinability at the cost of toxicity and a decrease in weldability.

Aluminum (Al)Al 82.2 to 91.8
Silicon (Si)Si 5.0 to 7.0
Copper (Cu)Cu 3.0 to 5.0
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 2.0
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 1.0
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0.2 to 0.65
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0 to 0.55
Nickel (Ni)Ni 0 to 0.45
Lead (Pb)Pb 0 to 0.3
Titanium (Ti)Ti 0 to 0.25
Chromium (Cr)Cr 0 to 0.15
Tin (Sn)Sn 0 to 0.15
Residualsres. 0 to 0.35

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

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

EN 1706: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties

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