Selecting the right alloy for aluminum round plate for any type of fabrication or application is one of the most important steps. Different alloys, both wrought and cast, are going to have different compositions of alloying ingredients that create different properties of the final alloy.
While generally all aluminum round plate, bars, rods and sheets or plate is going to be corrosion resistant, some alloys are naturally more corrosion resistance without the need for additional surface finishing. Additionally, most alloys and various tempers will have different tensile strengths, elongation and even stress fracture issues that have to be considered.
The Cast Advantage
Between wrought aluminum and cast aluminum, the cast process tends to provide a greater variety of options. There are over sixty different aluminum cast alloys that can be used to create aluminum round plate and each offers slightly different properties, benefits and considerations.
All aluminum casting alloys in use have a specific numerical designation. This allows for easy identification by the consumer as to the specific alloying elements that are found in the final product.
This numerical designation signifies the series. This is a standard designation that was first adopted by the Aluminum Association in 1954. It is also the same system approved and used by ANSI (American National Standards Institute), SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials).
The basic designations include:
- 1XX.X – this will contain at least 99.0% aluminum as a minimum content
- 2XX.X – contains aluminum and copper
- 3XX.X – contains aluminum and either silicon and magnesium, silicon and copper or silicon, magnesium and copper
- 4XX.X – contains aluminum and silicon
- 5XX.X – contains aluminum and magnesium
- 7XX.X – contains aluminum and zinc
- 8XX.X – contains aluminum and tin
Different alloys will have different properties including castability, machinability, finishing, weldability and corrosion resistance.
Key Factors
It is often critical to take a big picture look when choosing the right alloy for aluminum plate. The conditions in which the plate is going to be used will be a critical factor to consider, but so will weldability and machinability for most applications.
It may be necessary to look at different options in alloys to find the right match for the job. This is where an aluminum supply center specializing in aluminum products can be a great resource. These professionals have insight into utilizing various alloys in different environments and with different properties. Working closely with these companies will be essential in getting the right alloy and limiting trial and error testing with alloys that won’t be a good match.
