5056-H38 Aluminum
5056-H38 aluminum is 5056 aluminum in the H38 temper. This is the strongest temper normally produced through the action of strain hardening followed by stabilization. It is closely related to H18. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 5056-H38 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
Brinell Hardness
100
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
67 GPa 9.8 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
14 %
Fatigue Strength
150 MPa 22 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
25 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
220 MPa 32 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
420 MPa 61 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
350 MPa 50 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)
57 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
880 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
51 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
44 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
47 points
Thermal Diffusivity
53 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
18 points
Alloy Composition
| 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
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