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6063A (AlMg0.7Si(A)) Aluminum

6063A aluminum is a 6000-series aluminum alloy: there is significant alloying with both magnesium and silicon, and the alloy is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 6063A is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6063A. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is AlMg0,7Si(A).

It originally received its standard designation in 1979.

The properties of 6063A aluminum include four 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 6063A aluminum to: 6000-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

6.7 to 18 %

Fatigue Strength

53 to 80 MPa 7.6 to 12 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

78 to 150 MPa 11 to 22 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

130 to 260 MPa 18 to 37 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

55 to 200 MPa 7.9 to 28 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

400 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

160 °C 320 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

640 °C 1190 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

620 °C 1160 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

200 W/m-K 120 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

23 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

49 to 54 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

160 to 180 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

9.5 % relative

Density

2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

8.3 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)

13 to 21 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

22 to 280 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

14 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

50 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

13 to 26 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

21 to 33 points

Thermal Diffusivity

83 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

5.6 to 11 points

Alloy Composition

Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6063A aluminum is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si). Magnesium promotes hardenability through both heat treatment and strain hardening mechanisms. It also increases susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. Silicon is used to increase strength at the expense of ductility. It also lowers the melting temperature and raises the fluidity of the alloy.

Aluminum (Al)Al 97.5 to 99
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0.6 to 0.9
Silicon (Si)Si 0.3 to 0.6
Iron (Fe)Fe 0.15 to 0.35
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 0.15
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.15
Titanium (Ti)Ti 0 to 0.1
Copper (Cu)Cu 0 to 0.1
Chromium (Cr)Cr 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

EN 754-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Cold drawn rod/bar and tube. Mechanical properties

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

CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015