5056 (A95056) Aluminum
5056 aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5056 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5056. A95056 is the UNS number.
It has been in use since 1936, but has only received its standard designation in 1954.
It can have the highest ductility and the highest tensile strength among 5000-series alloys.
The properties of 5056 aluminum include ten 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 5056 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
67 GPa 9.8 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
4.9 to 31 %
Fatigue Strength
140 to 200 MPa 20 to 28 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
25 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
170 to 240 MPa 25 to 34 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
290 to 460 MPa 42 to 67 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
150 to 410 MPa 22 to 59 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
190 °C 370 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
570 °C 1050 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
910 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
130 W/m-K 73 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
29 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
99 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Calomel Potential
-780 mV
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
9.0 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)
12 to 140 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
170 to 1220 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
51 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
30 to 48 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
36 to 50 points
Thermal Diffusivity
53 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 to 20 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5056 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.
| Al | 93 to 95.4 | |
| Mg | 4.5 to 5.6 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.3 | |
| Mn | 0.050 to 0.2 | |
| Cr | 0.050 to 0.2 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B211: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Bar, Rod, and Wire
Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013
ASM Specialty Handbook: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 1993