Aluminium Alloys

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seksak Asavavisithchai

Department of Metallurgical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
Chulalongkorn University
E-mail: [email protected]
 Aluminium Alloys
 Aluminium has been an important aerospace structural material in the
development of weight-effcient airframes for aircraft since the 1930s.
 Compared with other major aerospace materials, such as magnesium,
titanium, steel and fibre-reinforced polymer composite, aluminium is
used in greater quantities in the majority of aircraft.
 Aluminium accounts for 60–80% of the airframe weight of most modern
aircraft, helicopters and space vehicles.
 Around 400,000 tonne of aluminium is used each year in building
military and civil aircraft.
 Many types of airliners continue to be constructed mostly of aluminium,
including aircraft built in large numbers such as the Boeing 737, 747 and
757 and the Airbus A320 and A340.
Use of Aluminium Alloys and Other Structural Materials in (a) the
Boeing 747 and (b) Hornet F/A-18
Title
Material Distribution for Boeing 777 Aircraft
 Introduction
 Abundant element of 8% on earth crust and normally found in oxide forms
(Al2O3), i.e., bauxite, kaolinite, nepheline and alunite.
 Found in United states, Canada, Australia, Italy, France.
 Have not been found in Thailand but in Malaysia, Vietnam.
 Physical properties of aluminium
 Density / Specific Gravity (g/cm3 at 20°C) 2.70
 Thermal emissivity at 100°F (%) 3.0
 Thermal conductivity (cal.sec-1cm-1K-1) 0.5
 Electrical conductivity at 20°C 64.94
(% of international annealed copper standard)
 Latent heat of fusion, cal.g-1 (kJ.kg-1) 94.7 (397.0)
 Specific heat at 100°C, cal.g-1K-1 (Jkg-1K-1) 0.2241 (938)
 Melting Point (°C) 660
 Reflectivity for light, tungsten filament (%) 90.0
 Advantages and Disadvantages of Al Alloys

 Advantages
 Moderate cost
 Ease of fabrication, including casting, forging and heat-treatment
 Light weight (density of only 2.7 g/cm3)
 High specific stiffness and specific strength
 Ductility, fracture toughness and fatigue resistance
 Good control of properties by mechanical and thermal treatments

 Disadvantages
 Low mechanical properties at elevated temperature (softening occurs
above ~150°C)
 Susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking
 Corrosion when in contact with carbon-fibre composites
 Age-hardenable alloys cannot be easily welded
 Advantages of Aluminium for Aerospace Industries

 High strength-to-weight ratio

 The height strength 2XXX and 7XXX alloys are competitive on a
strength-to-weight ratio with the higher strength but heavier titanium
and steel alloys, and thus have traditionally been the predominate
structural material in both commercial and military aircraft.
 Cryogenic properties
 Aluminium alloys are not embrittled at low temperatures and become
even stronger as the temperature is decreased without significant
ductility losses, making them ideal for cryogenic fuel tanks for rockets
and launch vehicles.
 Fabricability
 Aluminium alloys are among the easiest of all metals to form and
machine. The high strength 2XXX and 7XXX alloys can be formed in
a relatively soft state and then heat treated to much higher strength
levels after forming operations are completed.
 Aluminium Alloy Types
 Classification of aluminium alloys:
 Casting alloys
 Casting alloys are used in their as-cast condition without any
mechanical or heat treatment after being cast. The mechanical
properties of casting alloys are generally inferior to wrought
alloys, and are not used in aircraft structures.
 Wrought alloys
 Non-heat-treatable alloys
 Heat-treatable alloys

 When the term ‘heat treatment’ is applied to wrought aluminium alloys,

it usually implies that heating and cooling operations are used to increase
the strength via the process called age (or precipitation) hardening.
 Wrought Aluminium Alloys
 Non-heat-treatable Al alloys
 When heat treated they cannot be strengthened by precipitation hardening.
These alloys derive their strength from solution solid strengthening, work
hardening and refinement of the grain structure.
 The yield strength of most non-age-hardenable alloys is below about 300
MPa, which is inadequate for aircraft structures.

 Heat-treatable Al alloys
 Age-hardenable alloys are characterised by their ability to be strengthened
by precipitation hardening when heat treated. These alloys achieve high
strength from the combined strengthening mechanisms of solid solution
hardening, strain hardening, grain size control and, most importantly,
precipitation hardening.
 The yield strength of age-hardenable alloys is typically in the range of 450 to
600 MPa.
 The combination of low cost, light weight, ductility, high strength and
toughness makes age-hardenable alloys suitable for use in a wide variety of
structural and semistructural parts on aircraft.
International Alloy Designation System (IADS)

 There are over 500 different aluminium alloys, and for convenience these are
separated into categories called alloy series.
 The International Alloy Designation System (IADS) is a classification
scheme that is used in most countries to categorise aluminium alloys
according to their chemical composition. This system is used by the
aerospace industry to classify the alloys used in aircraft.
 Each alloy within a series has a four-digit number: XXXX.
 The first digit indicates the series number.
 The second digit indicates the number of modifications to the alloy type.
 The last two numbers in the four-digit system only have meaning for the
1000 series alloys. In this series, the last two digits specify the minimum
purity level of the aluminium. The last two digits in the 2000 to 8000
series has no meaningful relationship to the alloy content and serves no
purpose other than to identify the different alloys in a series.
 When an alloy is being developed it is prefixed with an X to signify it has not
yet been fully evaluated and classified by the IADS.
 Aluminium Alloy Designation
 For wrought alloys;
 A four digit numerical system by the Aluminum Association
 The first digit  Major alloying class of the series
 The second digit  Variations in the original basic alloy
 0  The original composition

 1  The first variation

 2  The second variation

 And so forth

 The third and fourth digits  The specific alloy within the series
Wrought Aluminium Alloy Series
 Temper Designation System
 A system of letters and numbers known as the temper designation system
is used to indicate the type of temper performed on an aluminium alloy.
 Temper is defined as the forging treatment (e.g. cold working, hot
working) and thermal treatment (e.g. annealing, age-hardening)
performed on an aluminium product to achieve the desired level of
metallurgical properties.
 The temper designation system has been approved by the American
Standards Association, and is used in the USA and most other countries.
The system is applied for all wrought and cast forms of aluminium
(except ingots).
Temper Designation for Aluminum Alloys
Roles of Alloying Elements
 Zn, Mg, Cu, Mn, Si are
mainly used for principal
commercial aluminium
alloys.

 Second-phase particles (~10

mm) are formed if high
amount of these elements is
added and remain as
particles after processing.

 These particles contribute to

little improvement in
strength but lower toughness
and corrosion resistance.
Major Attributes of Wrought Aluminum Alloys
Major Attributes of Wrought Aluminum Alloys
Major Attributes of Wrought Aluminum Alloys
 1xxx Series Al Alloys
 The highest purity form of Al alloys
 Al content > 99%
 Low yield strength (< 40 MPa), poor fatigue resistance and high
ductility.
 Unsuitable as structural materials on aircraft. However, occasionally
these alloys are used in nonstructural aircraft parts where high strength is
not required but weight and cost are important.
 2xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Cu)
 Cu is the major alloying element.
 High strength, fatigue resistance and toughness.
 Yield strength is typically in the range 300 to 450 MPa.
 The 2000 alloys are used in many structural and semi-structural
components in aircraft.
 Commonly used in aircraft structures, such as stringers, longerons, spars,
bulkheads, carry-throughs, stressed skins and trusses. Also used in
damage-tolerant applications, such as lower wing skins and the fuselage
structure of commercial aircraft.
 For nonstructural parts, such as fairings, cowlings, wheel pants and wing
tips
 When age-hardened, intermetallic precipitates are formed; CuAl2,
Al2CuMg, ZnAl, that increase the strength and fatigue resistance.
 2xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Cu)
 The 2xxx alloys used in aircraft structures include 2024, 2018, 2025,
2048, 2117 and 2124.
 3xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Mn)
 Mn is the major alloying element.
 Improvement of strength by solid solution hardening
 The yield strength of most 3000 alloys < 200 MPa
 Rarely used in aircraft
 Mostly used in non-aerospace components, such as automotive
components (e.g. radiators, interior panels and trim)
 4xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Si)
 Si is the major alloying element.
 These alloys cannot be strengthened by heat treatment, unless Mg is
present to form high strength precipitates (Mg2Si).
 Limited use in aircraft because a brittle silicon phase can form in the Al
matrix which reduces the ductility and fracture toughness.
 Mostly used in non-aerospace applications, in particular as brazing and
welding filler materials.
 5xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Mg)
 Mg is the major alloying element.
 Mg forms hard intermetallic.
 Precipitates in Al (Mg2Al3) increase the strength of the 5xxx alloy.
However, the formation and growth of these precipitates cannot be
controlled by heat treatment, and therefore the 5000 series alloys are not
age-hardenable.
 Used in nonstructural aircraft parts, such as wing ribs, wing tips,
stiffeners, tanks, ducting and framework
 6xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Mg-Si)
 The principal alloying elements in the 6xxx series are Mg and Si.
 Can be age-hardened with the formation of Mg2Al3 and Mg2Si
precipitates.
 Rarely used in aircraft because of their low fracture toughness, such as
wing ribs, ducting, tanks, fairing and framework (non-structural parts)
 Commonly used in a wide range of non-aerospace components, such as
buildings, rail cars, boat hulls, ship superstructures and, increasingly, in
automotive components.
 7xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Cu-Zn)
 The principal alloying elements in the 7xxx series are Cu and Zn (Zn
content is 3-4 times higher than the Cu)
 Frequently, Mg is also added.
 When age-hardened, high-strength precipitates are formed; e.g. CuAl2,
Mg2Al3, Al32(Mg, Zn)49
 Yield strength is typically in the range 470 to 600 MPa.
 Commonly used in aircraft structures required to carry high stresses, such
as upper wing surfaces, spars, stringers, framework, pressure bulkheads
and carry-throughs
 The 7xxx alloys used in aircraft structures include 7049, 7050, 7079,
7090, 7091, 7178 and 7475.
7xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Cu-Zn)
7xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Cu-Zn)
 8xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Li)
 Al alloys that cannot be classified according to their chemical composition
into any one of the 1xxx to 7xxx series are allocated to the 8xxx series.
 Li is unique alloying element because it reduces density while
simultaneously increasing elastic modulus, tensile strength and fatigue
properties.
 The three Al–Li alloys most often used in aircraft structures are 8090
(2.4%Li–1.3%Cu–0.9Mg), 8091 (2.6%Li–1.9%Cu–0.9%Mg) and 8092
(2.4%Li–0.65%Cu–1.2%Mg).
 The aerospace industry has invested heavily in the development of Al–Li
alloys since the 1980s to produce lighter, stiffer and stronger aircraft
structures, but failed to replace conventional Al alloys.
 Problems of Al-Li alloys
 High cost of lithium metal and the high processing cost
 Low ductility and toughness in the short transverse direction, which can
lead to cracking
8xxx Series Al Alloys (Al-Li)
 Metallurgical Consideration
 Precipitation hardening of the wrought heat treatable alloys  Increasing
strength levels
 The 2XXX series (Al-Cu and Al-Cu-Mg)
 The 6XXX series (Al-Mg-Si)
 The 7XXX series (Al-Zn-Mg and Al-Zn-Mg-Cu)
 The aluminium-lithium alloys of the 8XXX alloy series

 The 2XXX and 7XXX alloys  The highest strength levels  The main
alloys used for metallic airframe components
 The wrought heat treatable 2XXX alloys generally contain magnesium in
addition to copper as an alloying element  Can be aged at either room
temperature or at elevated temperature.
 The wrought heat treatable 7XXX alloys  More respsonsive to
precipitation hardening than the 2XXX alloys  Higher strength levels
Development of Al Alloys for Aircraft
Constitution of Aluminium Alloy
Mechanical Properties
 Strengthening Mechanisms in Aluminium Alloys

 Age hardening (Precipitation hardening)

 (Heat treatables)

 Solid solution hardening

 (Heat treatables, non heat treatables)

 Grain size reduction

 Cold working (strain hardening, work hardening)

 (Heat treatables, non heat treatables)
Solid Solution Strengthening
Grain Size Reduction
Strain Hardening
 Major Effects of Alloy Additions
 Cu: High strength from age hardening, not weldable (AA2xxx)
 Mn: Solution hardening (AA3xxx)
 Mn+Mg: Solution hardening even better
 Mg: Solution hardening – best corrosion resistance next to pure
Al (AA5xxx)
 Mg+Si: Moderately heat treatable and corrosion resistance and
weldability – good medium alloy (AA6xxx)
 Zn+Mg: High strength, not weldable (AA7xxx)
 Alclad
 High purity Al skin for corrosion resistance
 May protect galvanically
 Aluminium Alloys
• Methods of joining
• 1xxx, 3xxx, 5xxx can be welded
• 2xxx, 7xxx most are non-weldable (must be riveted, bolted etc.)
• 6xxx can be welded
• Some 2xxx and 7xxx can be welded (i.e., 2219 and 7005)

• Highest strength
• Heat treatables 7xxx series (600 MPa)
• Non heat treatables 5xxx series (275 MPa)
 Precipitation Hardening (Age Hardening)

 Precipitation hardening is commonly used to process aluminum alloys and

other nonferrous metals for commercial use. The examples are Al-Cu, Cu-
Be, Cu-Sn, Mg-Al, and some ferrous alloys
 The strength and hardness of some metal alloys may be enhanced by the
formation of extremely small uniformly dispersed particles of a second
phase within the original phase matrix.
 This is accomplished by appropriate heat treatments the process is called
precipitation hardening because the small particles of the new phase are
termed "precipitates”.
 Precipitation Hardening
 Precipitation hardening usually involves the three following stages:
1. Solution treatment at relatively high temperature to dissolve the
alloying elements.
2. Rapid cooling or quenching usually to room temperature to obtain
supersaturated solid solution (SSSS) of these elements in aluminium.
3. Controlled decomposition of the SSSS to form a finely dispersed
precipitates, normally accompanied with ageing at appropriate
temperatures.
Steps in Precipitation Hardening
 Mechanism of Precipitation Hardening
 During plastic deformation:
 Zones or precipitates act as obstacles to dislocation motion
 Stress must be increased to “push” the dislocation through the
distribution of precipitates.
 Consequently the alloy becomes harder and stronger.
 Decomposition of Supersaturated Solid Solutions (SSSS)

 Decomposition of SSSS is complex and normally involves several stages of

formation;
 Equilibrium phase
 Guinier-Preston (GP) zones
 Intermediate precipitates
 The presence of a critical dispersion of GP zones or an intermediate
precipitates, or both contributes to the maximum hardening in commercial
alloys.
 The GP Zone
 The GP zones are ordered, solute-rich clusters of atoms, and coherent with
the matrix. The GP zones are normally finely distributed in the matrix,
which contribute to hardening.
 The GP zone solvus shown as a metastable line in the equilibrium diagram
(fig b) which defines the upper temperature limit of stability of the GP
zones. The GP zone size distribution varies with ageing time.
 The GP Zone

(a) Schematic of the (b) Section of Al-Cu (c) Schematic of the

distortion of matrix eutectic phase diagram variation of GP zone size
lattice plane near the distribution with ageing
coherent GP zone. time.
Hardening of Different Zones
Mechanism of Precipitation Hardening
Coherent and Incoherent Precipitates
Coherent and Noncoherent Precipitates
Schematic Representation of the Coherency of Precipitates
Lattice Strain
Al-Cu Alloy
Typical Aging Curve for Aluminum Alloys
Precipitation Hardening of Al–Cu Alloy
Precipitation Hardening
Decomposition Products
Schematic of Aging Curve
 Age Hardening
 A Metastable solid solution after quenching

 B Peak aged
 Coherent ppt zones

 Guinier Preston zones

 Dislocation and ppt zone stress fields interact

 C Overaged
 Non-coherent ppts

 Usually stronger than A

 Precipitation coarsening
Typical Aging Curve for Aluminum Alloys
Precipitates in Age-Hardenable Al Alloy
Precipitates in Age-Hardenable Al Alloy
Typical Aging Curve for Aluminum Alloys
Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys – 7000 Series
 Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys – 7000 Series

 Al-5Zn-2Mg alloy (a) 5d/20C+48h/120C, GP Zone only

(b) 16h/80C + 24h/150C, GP + ’
(c) 24h/150C, ’
Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys – 7000 Series
Isothermal Aging Curves for 2014-T4
Effect of Aging Time
Effect of Welding on Precipitation Hardening
Chemical Composition of Aerospace Aluminium Alloys
Mechanical Properties of Several Aluminium Alloys
Thank You for Your Attention