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A356.0-T61 Cast Aluminum

A356.0-T61 aluminum is A356.0 aluminum in the T61 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is solution heat-treated and artificially underaged. The degree of underaging is different from T64 and T65.

The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare A356.0-T61 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

88

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

70 GPa 10 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

5.2 %

Fatigue Strength

90 MPa 13 x 103 psi

Poisson's Ratio

0.33

Shear Modulus

26 GPa 3.8 x 106 psi

Shear Strength

190 MPa 28 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

270 MPa 39 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

200 MPa 30 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

500 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

170 °C 340 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

610 °C 1130 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

570 °C 1060 °F

Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage

1.3 %

Specific Heat Capacity

900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

150 W/m-K 87 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

21 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

40 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

140 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

9.5 % relative

Density

2.6 g/cm3 160 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

8.0 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

150 MJ/kg 64 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

1110 L/kg 130 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

13 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

300 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

15 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

53 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

29 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

36 points

Thermal Diffusivity

64 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

13 points

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al)Al 91.1 to 93.3
Silicon (Si)Si 6.5 to 7.5
Magnesium (Mg)Mg 0.25 to 0.45
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.2
Titanium (Ti)Ti 0 to 0.2
Copper (Cu)Cu 0 to 0.2
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0 to 0.1
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.1
Residualsres. 0 to 0.15

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

Followup Questions

Further Reading

ASTM B686: Standard Specification for Aluminum Alloy Castings, High-Strength

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

Advanced Materials in Automotive Engineering, Jason Rowe (editor), 2012

Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993