Structural engineers and designers have various material options from which to choose when evaluating aluminum alloys. These alloys offer numerous benefits and are created through the incorporation of alloying elements into the base aluminum metal. The focus here is on two alloys taken from the 2xxx and 6xxx series – 2024 aluminum and 6061 aluminum. As popular commercial metals, they both possess exceptional properties that make them ideal for many applications. Look no further than our supply at Howard Precision Metals to meet your 2024 and 6061 aluminum requirements. Our team has the experience to help you secure the aluminum alloy products you need for your industrial applications.
2024 Aluminum Alloy
Aluminum 2024 utilizes copper (Cu) as its primary alloying element. The chemical composition of 2024 aluminum reflects this: 0.6% Mn, 1.5% Mg, and 4.4% Cu. With the significant percentage of copper comprising 2024, the alloy’s corrosion resistance drops significantly, but its strength increases at the same time. To offset the corrosion resistance disadvantage, finished machined parts like manifold blocks are often hard coat anodized, and in sheet metal applications the surface if is often covered with a cladding, which is a corrosion resistance metal made from either pure aluminum or another aluminum alloy resistant to corrosion. Alclad products are available for application to 2024 aluminum alloys to take care of the corrosion resistance issue.
6061 Aluminum Alloy
Aluminum 6061 aluminum is one of the most popular alloys on the market for designers and possesses excellent characteristics for many applications. These features include high strength, and good machinability, weldability, and corrosion resistance. Coming from the 6xxx series of aluminum alloys, it uses silicon and magnesium as its primary alloying elements. Its chemical composition is as follows: 97.9 Al, 1.0% Mg, 0.6% Si, 0.28% Cu, and 0.2% Cr. It also has a density of 0.0975 lb/in3 (2.7 g/cm3). The process of heat treating is part of the production process to increase the strength of this alloy. After being heat-treated, 6061 aluminum, including 6061 aluminum plate is ideal for many applications, including structural machine components, electronics, manifolds, and more.
Comparing 2024 and 6061 Modulus of Elasticity
The modulus of elasticity of 2024 aluminum is greater than that of 6061 aluminum. The modulus of elasticity identifies the stiffness of the alloy or its degree of elasticity. Materials with a high modulus of elasticity can handle higher levels of stress when force creates a permanent change in shape. Materials with a low modulus of elasticity are less elastic more easily prone to brittle fracture. As a result, 2024 aluminum alloys are the better option for application that require high strength under load.
Comparing 2024 and 6061 Yield Strength
The yield strength of a material is the minimum level of stress that will cause its permanent deformation. It is the point at which the material yields to this condition. The yield strength of 2024 aluminum is greater than 6061 aluminum (324 MPa > 276 MPa). For this reason, 2024 is commonly used for aircraft aluminum applications. If strength is not the main concern, then 6061 may be considered, since it is also strong and possesses many beneficial properties.
Comparing 2024 and 6061 Fatigue Strength
The fatigue strength of a material indicates the endurance of the material against cyclical (repetitive loading). Aircraft performance and operating conditions (landing, takeoff, temperature fluctuations) often induces these types of stresses. Aluminum 2024 had a higher fatigue strength than 6061 (138 MPa > 96.5 Mpa — based on 500,000,000 loading cycles) and so is used in these applications.
Comparing 2024 and 6061 Machinability
Machinability measures the degree to which metals respond to tooling. Over recent years machine tools have made significant advancements and typically if you ask any machinist, they will say all wrought Aluminum alloys are pretty easy to machine. The most common wrought Aluminum alloys are 6061, 2024, and 7075. When ranking the machinability of these 3 alloys, 7075 is the best, followed closely by 2024, and then 6061. However. defining the term machinability has taken a new path in recent years as some machinist will tell you it is not just about how the metal chips, but how it holds tolerance when machining. All three alloys are heat treated to produce the strength properties they possess, and typically the higher the strength, the higher the stress. Hence 6061 might not chip as well as 2024 or 7075, but when working with thinner plates, you are less likely to experience dimensional instability with 6061 when milling the thickness of a plate. For projects that require machining operations, 6061 aluminum is still a great option if you don’t need the strength of 2024 or 7075.
Comparing 2024 and 6061 Hardness
The hardness of a metal measures the resilience of a material and specifically its resistance to local deformation and its surface quality. Alloys 6061 and 2024 have sufficient ductility to yield under stress instead of breaking or shattering. However, these alloys are also sufficiently hard to resist smaller stresses. Aluminum 6061 is ideal for use with machined parts due to the fact it does not cause damage to machine tools and when polished, displays a semi-gloss finish. Aluminum 2024 functions well as an aircraft alloy due to its hardness – it must resist yielding to outside forces from elements such as rain, dirt and other flying debris).
Regardless of whether you need 2024 aluminum plate, 6061 aluminum plate, or other forms of aluminum alloy, including bar or plate, we have you covered at Howard Precision Metals. Our team will provide you with the technical data to make an educated decision on the best aluminum alloy to meet the requirements of your applications. For more information about our supply of aluminum alloys and our capabilities to meet your material needs, give us a call today at 800.444.0311 or request a quote using the convenient form on our website.
