Aluminum in cars 

Rolled aluminum alloys

Aluminum extruded profiles and rolled aluminum - plates, sheets and foils - aluminum semi-finished products are. Fully finished products or parts are obtained from aluminum semi-finished products by machining methods or by pressure processing methods., including, car.

Alloys for rolled aluminum

Any rolled semi-finished product has a rectangular cross section and the same thickness. They are obtained by hot and cold rolling from rolling ingots.. Depending on the thickness, aluminum rolled semi-finished products are subdivided into plates (thick sheets) with a thickness of more than 6 mm, thin sheets or simply "sheets" (from 0,2 to 6 mm) and foil (less 0,2 mm).

Sheets and foil are supplied in bays.. Thick sheets are delivered in straight linear lengths.. Sheet width may exceed 2 m, and their surface may be rough, polished, chemically treated, painted, varnished or anodized.

For the manufacture of rolled aluminum, several different alloys are used., to achieve optimum consumer material properties in various applications.

In the production of passenger cars, parts made of aluminum rolled are inferior in terms of use only to aluminum castings. For the manufacture of automotive aluminum products, the most widely used are deformable aluminum alloys of the 5xxx and 6xxx series, since they have high strength properties, high corrosion resistance and good plastic properties. Alloys of other "deformable" series, 1xxx and 3xxx, apply significantly less.

The main rolling aluminum alloys, which are used in the automotive industry and related fields are: (alloy designation - nominal chemical composition of the alloy - aluminum alloy application ):

  • 1050 - Al99,5 - thermal screens, heat exchanger fins;
  • 3003 - Al-1,2Mn-0,12Cu - heat exchangers;
  • 5005 - Al-0,8Mg - heat shields, load-bearing structural elements;
  • 5052 - Al-2,5Mg-Cr - chassis, load-bearing structural elements;
  • 5454 - Al-3Mg-Mn-Cr - rims;
  • 5754 - Al-3Mg-Mn-Cr - шасси, axis, internal panels;
  • 5182 - Al-4.5Mg-0.4Mn - load-bearing structural elements;
  • 5083 - Al-4.5Mg-0.7Mn-0.15Cr - load-bearing structural elements;
  • 6016 - Al-1,2Si-0,45Mg - body, external panels;
  • 6181А - Al-0,9Si-0,8Mg - body, internal panels;
  • 6111 - Al-0,9Si-0,8Mg-0,7Сu-Mn - кузов, external panels;
  • 6022 - Al-1,2Si-0,6Mg-Mn - кузов, outdoor panels.

Aluminum alloys 6016, 6022, 6111 and 6181A are relatively new. They are specially designed for the automotive industry..

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of aluminum alloys for sheet metal, which is used in the automotive industry, presented in the table below.

Table - Rolled aluminum alloys in the automotive industryalyuminievye-splavy-prokatnye +

Rolled aluminum alloys in a car

mark 1050 and abortion 3003

aluminum Brand 1050 and aluminum alloy 3003 used for the manufacture of sheet metal, and pressed products. See. about brand 1050 and rafts 3003: Extruded aluminum alloys in the car.

Alloy 5005

5xxx Series Cold Rolled Alloy. Strength properties: low to medium. The main alloying element is magnesium without any other additives..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-0,8Mg

Typical material conditions:

  • cold-worked (H1x) of varying degrees;
  • stabilized (Н3х) with varying degrees of residual work-hardening;
  • annealed (O).

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • heat shields, load-bearing structural elements.

Alloy 5052

5xxx Series Cold Rolled Alloy. Strength properties - medium. The main alloying element is magnesium.. The main additive is chrome..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-2,5Mg-Cr

Typical material conditions:

  • partially annealed (H2x) of varying degrees;
  • stabilized (Н3х) with varying degrees of residual work-hardening;
  • annealed (O).

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • load-bearing structural elements.

Alloy 5083

5xxx Series Cold Rolled Alloy. Strength properties: high. The main alloying element is magnesium with manganese and chromium additives..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-4,5Mg-0,7Mn-0,15Cr

Magnesium greatly increases the strength of the alloy., therefore it achieves high strength characteristics.

Manganese and chromium act as “anti-recrystallizers” – they control the size and shape of the grains during the hot rolling process, as well as final heat treatments.

Typical material conditions:

  • cold-worked (H1x) of varying degrees;
  • partially annealed (H2x);
  • stabilized (Н3х) with varying degrees of residual work-hardening;
  • annealed (O).

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • load-bearing structural elements.

Alloy 5182

5xxx series alloy for cold rolling with high strength properties. The main alloying element is magnesium with manganese additives..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-4,5Mg-0,4Mn

Magnesium increases the strength of the alloy, therefore, it achieves high strength properties.

Manganese inhibits recrystallization – they control grain size and shape during the hot rolling process, as well as final heat treatments.

Typical material conditions:

  • stabilized (Н3х) with varying degrees of residual work-hardening;
  • annealed (O).

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • load-bearing structural elements, internal panels.

Alloy 5454

5xxx series alloy for cold rolling with medium to high strength properties. The main alloying element is magnesium with manganese and chromium additives..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-3Mg-Mn-Cr

Magnesium increases the strength of the alloy, therefore, it achieves high strength properties.

Manganese and chromium, which are present in large quantities, inhibits recrystallization – they control the size and shape of the grains during the hot rolling process, as well as final heat treatments.

Typical material conditions:

  • cold-worked (H1x) of varying degrees;
  • partially annealed (H2x);
  • stabilized (Н3х) with varying degrees of residual work-hardening;
  • annealed (O).

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • wheel disks.

Alloy 5754

5xxx series alloy for cold rolling with medium to high strength properties. The main alloying element is magnesium with manganese and chromium additives..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-3Mg-Mn-Cr

Magnesium increases the strength of the alloy, therefore, it achieves high strength properties.

Manganese and chromium, which although present in small quantities, suppress recrystallization – they control the size and shape of the grains during the hot rolling process, as well as final heat treatments.

Typical material conditions:

  • cold-worked (H1x) of varying degrees;
  • partially annealed (H2x);
  • stabilized (Н3х) with varying degrees of residual work-hardening;
  • annealed (O).

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • chassis,
  • axis,
  • internal panels.

Alloy 6016

Thermally hardened rolling aluminum alloy from the 6xxx series with medium to high strength properties. The main alloying elements are magnesium and silicon.. No special additives.

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-1,2Si-0,45Mg.

Thermal hardening: hardening and aging, artificial or natural.

This alloy is relatively recently developed specifically for rolled sheet., which goes to car bodies.

Characteristic properties of the alloy 6016:

  • very good formability;
  • low elastic recoil;
  • lack of deformation bands;
  • the ability to form high quality seams;
  • high corrosion resistance;
  • good weldability.

Typical material condition: T4 (hardened and naturally aged).

Typical mechanical properties in condition T4:

  • tensile strength: 160 N / mm2;
  • yield point: 90 N / mm2;
  • relative extension: 15 %;
  • Brinell hardness: 50.

Main application in the automotive industry:

  • car bodies and
  • outdoor panels.

Alloy 6022

Thermally hardened rolling aluminum alloy from the 6xxx series with medium to high strength properties. The main alloying elements are magnesium and silicon.. Small additions of manganese and chromium.

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-1,2Si-0,6Mg-Mn.

Thermal hardening: hardening and aging, artificial or natural.

This alloy is relatively recently developed specifically for the sheet., from which car bodies are made.

Alloy 6111

Thermally hardened rolling aluminum alloy from the 6xxx series with high strength properties. The main alloying elements are magnesium., silicon and copper with manganese as an additive.

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-0,9Si-0,8Mg-0,7Сu-Mn.

Thermal hardening: hardening and aging, artificial or natural.

This alloy has also recently been developed specifically for sheet rolling., from which car bodies are made.

Alloy 6181A

Thermally hardened rolling aluminum alloy from the 6xxx series with high strength properties. The main alloying elements are magnesium and silicon without special additives..

Nominal chemical composition:

  • Al-0,9Si-0,8Mg.

Thermal hardening similar to that, which is used for alloy 6082.

Designed specifically for sheet rolling, which goes to car bodies.

Source: Aluminum @ Cars. Design, Technology, Innovation; Edimet, 2005