3203 Aluminum
3203 aluminum is a 3000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is manganese, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 3203 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-3203. Additionally, the UNS number is A93203.
It originally received its standard designation in 1973.
It can have the highest ductility among the 3000-series alloys in the database.
The properties of 3203 aluminum include nine 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 3203 aluminum to: 3000-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
70 GPa 10 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
4.5 to 29 %
Fatigue Strength
46 to 92 MPa 6.6 to 13 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.8 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
72 to 120 MPa 10 to 17 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
110 to 200 MPa 16 to 29 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
39 to 190 MPa 5.7 to 27 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
180 °C 360 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
650 °C 1200 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
620 °C 1160 °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
43 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
140 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.0 % relative
Density
2.8 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.1 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)
8.0 to 25 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
11 to 250 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
11 to 20 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
19 to 28 points
Thermal Diffusivity
70 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
4.9 to 8.8 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 3203 aluminum is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of manganese (Mn). Manganese is used to improve strength without a proportional reduction in ductility. It also improves workability by controlling the grain structure of the alloy.
| Al | 96.9 to 99 | |
| Mn | 1.0 to 1.5 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.7 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.6 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.050 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
Handbook of Aluminum Bonding Technology and Data, J. D. Minford, 1993
Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, John E. Hatch (editor), 1984
ISO 6361-2: Wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys - Sheets, strips and plates - Part 2: Mechanical properties
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993