MakeItFrom.com
Menu (ESC)

2024-T6 Aluminum

2024-T6 aluminum is 2024 aluminum in the T6 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is solution heat-treated and artificially aged until it meets standard mechanical property requirements. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 2024-T6 aluminum to: 2000-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

71 GPa 10 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

5.1 %

Fatigue Strength

130 MPa 19 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

27 GPa 3.9 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

280 MPa 40 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

480 MPa 70 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

370 MPa 54 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

390 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

200 °C 390 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

640 °C 1180 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

500 °C 930 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

880 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

120 W/m-K 70 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

23 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

30 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

90 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

11 % relative

Calomel Potential

-600 mV

Density

3.0 g/cm3 190 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

8.3 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

150 MJ/kg 65 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

1140 L/kg 140 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

23 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

980 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

13 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

46 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

44 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

45 points

Thermal Diffusivity

46 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

21 points

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al)Al 90.7 to 94.7
Copper (Cu)Cu 3.8 to 4.9
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 1.2 to 1.8
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0.3 to 0.9
Silicon (Si)Si 0 to 0.5
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.5
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.25
Zirconium (Zr)Zr 0 to 0.2
Titanium (Ti)Ti 0 to 0.15
Chromium (Cr)Cr 0 to 0.1
Residualsres. 0 to 0.15

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

Followup Questions

Further Reading

ASTM B211: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Bar, Rod, and Wire

EN 754-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Cold drawn rod/bar and tube. Mechanical properties

Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, John E. Hatch (editor), 1984

ASTM B209: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate

EN 755-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Extruded rod/bar, tube and profiles. Mechanical properties

Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013

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