852.0 (852.0-T5, A08520) Cast Aluminum
852.0 aluminum is an aluminum alloy formulated for casting. Cited properties are appropriate for the T5 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is artificially aged until it meets standard mechanical property requirements. 852.0 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. A08520 is the UNS number. Older literature may refer to this material as B850.0, but this is now discouraged.
It has the lowest melting temperature among the ANSI/AA cast aluminums in the database.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 852.0 aluminum to: ANSI/AA cast aluminums (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
64
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
70 GPa 10 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
3.4 %
Fatigue Strength
73 MPa 11 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.8 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
130 MPa 20 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
200 MPa 29 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
150 MPa 21 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
370 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
190 °C 370 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
210 °C 400 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.3 %
Specific Heat Capacity
840 J/kg-K 0.2 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
180 W/m-K 100 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
45 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
130 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
15 % relative
Density
3.2 g/cm3 200 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.5 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
160 MJ/kg 67 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1150 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
6.2 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
160 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
12 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
43 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
17 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
24 points
Thermal Diffusivity
65 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
8.7 points
Alloy Composition
Among cast aluminum alloys, the composition of 852.0 aluminum is notable for including tin (Sn) and containing a comparatively high amount of copper (Cu). Tin is used to increase bearing properties at the cost of a decrease in corrosion resistance. Copper is used to improve strength. This comes at the cost of a decrease in corrosion resistance and weldability.
| Al | 86.6 to 91.3 | |
| Sn | 5.5 to 7.0 | |
| Cu | 1.7 to 2.3 | |
| Ni | 0.9 to 1.5 | |
| Mg | 0.6 to 0.9 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.7 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.3 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B618: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Investment Castings
ASTM B108: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Permanent Mold Castings
ASTM B26: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Sand Castings
Handbook of Aluminum vol. 2: Alloy Production and Materials Manufacturing, George Totten and D. Scott MacKenzie (editors), 2003
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993