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5657 (Al99.85Mg1(A), A95657) Aluminum

5657 aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5657 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5657. A95657 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is Al99,85Mg1(A).

It originally received its standard designation in 1960.

The properties of 5657 aluminum include five 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 5657 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

40 to 50

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

68 GPa 9.8 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

6.6 to 15 %

Fatigue Strength

74 to 88 MPa 11 to 13 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

92 to 110 MPa 13 to 15 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

150 to 200 MPa 22 to 28 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

140 to 170 MPa 20 to 24 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

400 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

180 °C 360 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

660 °C 1210 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

640 °C 1180 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

210 W/m-K 120 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

24 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

54 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

180 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

9.5 % relative

Density

2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

8.4 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

160 MJ/kg 67 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

1200 L/kg 140 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

9.7 to 27 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

140 to 200 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

14 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

50 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

15 to 20 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

23 to 28 points

Thermal Diffusivity

84 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

6.7 to 8.6 points

Alloy Composition

Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5657 aluminum is notable for including gallium (Ga) and vanadium (V). Gallium is used to improve corrosion resistance and to modify an alloy's response to etching, brightening, and similar treatments. Vanadium is used to reduce grain size and increase recrystallization temperature.

Aluminum (Al)Al 98.5 to 99.4
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0.6 to 1.0
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.1
Copper (Cu)Cu 0 to 0.1
Silicon (Si)Si 0 to 0.080
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.050
Vanadium (V)V 0 to 0.050
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 0.030
Gallium (Ga)Ga 0 to 0.030
Residualsres. 0 to 0.050

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

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

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

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