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5051A (AlMg2(B), 3.3326) Aluminum

5051A aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5051A is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5051A. AlMg2(B) is the EN chemical designation.

It originally received its standard designation in 1983.

The properties of 5051A 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 5051A 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

18 to 21 %

Fatigue Strength

51 to 61 MPa 7.4 to 8.8 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

110 MPa 15 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

170 MPa 25 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

56 MPa 8.1 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

400 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

190 °C 370 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

640 °C 1190 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

610 °C 1120 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

150 W/m-K 88 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

23 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

39 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

130 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

9.5 % relative

Density

2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

8.5 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

1190 L/kg 140 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

24 to 27 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

23 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

14 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

50 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

17 to 18 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

25 points

Thermal Diffusivity

63 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

7.6 points

Alloy Composition

Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5051A 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.

Aluminum (Al)Al 96.1 to 98.6
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 1.4 to 2.1
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.45
Silicon (Si)Si 0 to 0.3
Chromium (Cr)Cr 0 to 0.3
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 0.25
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.2
Titanium (Ti)Ti 0 to 0.1
Copper (Cu)Cu 0 to 0.050
Residualsres. 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 vol. 2: Alloy Production and Materials Manufacturing, George Totten and D. Scott MacKenzie (editors), 2003

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