The Aluminum Beverage Can
It's almost impossible to hear the word aluminum and not think about beverage cans. In fact,
currently 100% of all beverage cans are made from aluminum. Aluminum cans made their first appearance in America in 1953 and by the late 1960's were being recycled in earnest. However, the greatest use of Aluminum is in the auto industry where almost 6 billion pounds are currently used. read more>>
Aluminum – materials
2011 Aluminum
2011 is the most useable of the commonly available aluminum alloys. Machining this alloy can produce excellent surface finishes on your product, and small, broken chips.
2024 Aluminum
Copper is the main alloying ingredient in 2024. It is very strong compared to most aluminum alloys, the copper component of this alloy makes it susceptible to corrosion (many items in this alloy are produced with a clad surface to protect the underlying material.) In addition, 2024 is not considered to be weldable.
5052 Aluminum
5052 is the alloy most suited to forming operations, with good workability and higher strength than that of the 1100 or 3003 alloys that are commercially available. 5052 is not heat-treatable, but is stronger than most of the 5xxx series of alloys. It has very good corrosion resistance.
6061 Aluminum
6061 Aluminum is, by most any measure, the most commonly used aluminum alloy. It ispecified in most any application due to its strength, heat treatability, comparatively easy machining, and weldability. If that were not enough, it is also capable of being anodized, adding a layer of protection for finished parts. The main alloy ingredients of 6061 aluminum are magnesium and silicon.
6063 Aluminum
6063 is often called architectural aluminum for two reasons - first, it has a surface finish that is far smoother than the other commercially available alloys, and second, its strength is significantly less (roughly half the strength of 6061), making it suited for applications where strength is not the foremost
6262 Aluminum
6262 was designed as an aluminum alloy for operations where significant machining is required. It contains lead and bismuth to help with chip creation and breakage, as well as to partially lubricate the cutting tool.
7075 Aluminum
7075 is the other "aircraft grade" aluminum. Its principal alloying ingredients are Zinc and copper, which make it one of the highest-strength aluminum alloys that are available. In fact, it’s typical strength in the T6 temper is higher than most mild steels |