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6101 (E-AlMgSi, 91E) Aluminum

6101 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. 6101 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6101. 91E is the British Standard (BS) designation. E-AlMgSi is the common industry name. Additionally, the UNS number is A96101.

It originally received its standard designation in 1955.

It can have the highest electrical conductivity and the highest thermal conductivity among 6000-series alloys.

The properties of 6101 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 6101 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

10 to 25 %

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

400 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

160 °C 320 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

650 °C 1210 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

620 °C 1150 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

220 to 230 W/m-K 130 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

23 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

57 to 60 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

190 to 200 % 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

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

14 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

50 points

Thermal Diffusivity

89 to 93 mm2/s

Alloy Composition

Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6101 aluminum is notable for including boron (B). Boron is used as a grain refiner, and to improve electrical conductivity.

Aluminum (Al)Al 97.6 to 99.4
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0.35 to 0.8
Silicon (Si)Si 0.3 to 0.7
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.5
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.1
Copper (Cu)Cu 0 to 0.1
Boron (B)B 0 to 0.060
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 0.030
Chromium (Cr)Cr 0 to 0.030
Residualsres. 0 to 0.1

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

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013

ASM Specialty Handbook: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 1993

EN 573-3: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Chemical composition and form of wrought products. Chemical composition and form of products