MATERIAL AND HARDWARE – BDS 10103

Semester 1 Session 2024/2025

ASSESMENT 1
APPLICATION OF POLYMER

LECTURER’S NAME: DR. MUHAMMAD FAIZ BIN RAMLI

State the application and characteristic for each Aluminium alloy:

NO. Alloying Element Wrought

1. Copper (Cu) 2XXX
2. Manganese 3XXX
3. Silicon 4XXX
4. Magnesium 5XXX
5. Magnesium + Silicon 6XXX
6. Zinc 7XXX

Aluminium Alloy
Aluminium alloy is a metal formed by combining aluminium with other elements to create a
material with different properties than pure aluminium.
Composition
Aluminum alloys are typically made with copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon, tin, nickel,
and zinc. Other elements that can be added include chromium, titanium, zirconium, lead, and
bismuth.

1. Aluminium-Copper Alloy

Aluminium copper alloys in the 2xxx series are hard alloys that are primarily made of
aluminium and copper. They have a number of characteristics, including:
• Strength: 2xxx alloys are strong, especially over a wide range of temperatures, and
have a high strength-to-weight ratio.
• Heat-treatable: 2xxx alloys can be heat-treated to significantly increase their strength.
• Machinability: 2xxx alloys machine well and can be fabricated into complex shapes.
• Corrosion resistance: 2xxx alloys are not as resistant to corrosion as other aluminum
alloys, but they can be painted or clad with a more corrosion-resistant alloy.
• Weldability: 2xxx alloys are the least weldable group of aluminum alloys and require
specific treatment for welding.
• Applications: 2xxx alloys are used in industries where lightweight materials with high
strength are required, such as aerospace and automotive.
Aluminium grade 2xxx alloys can be group as below:

• Grade 2011 (5.0% – 6.0% Cu)

• Grade 2014 (3.9% – 5.0% Cu)
• Grade 2017 (3.5% – 4.5% Cu)
• Grade 2024 (3.8% – 4.9% Cu)
• Grade 2124 (3.8% – 4.9% Cu)
• Grade 2219 (5.6% – 6.8% Cu)

Applications for Aluminium 2xxx Series Alloys in Aircraft

Some of the high-performance alloys with high mechanical strength have aerospace
applications. High-precision parts can be made by CNC machining of alloys. Grade 2024
having superior machinability is the most popular alloy for aircraft construction. Other grades
of alloy are also involved in making aircraft fuselage and wings.

Figure 1:Aircraft Fuselage

2. Aluminium-Manganese Alloy
Aluminium 3000 series alloy has Manganese (Mn) as the main alloying element which imparts
some unique properties to this series of alloys. Some of the key characteristics of grade 3000
aluminium alloys are as below:

• Moderate mechanical strength

• Non-heat treatable
• Further strengthening through strain hardening (cold work)
• Excellent formability
• Solid solution hardening with Magnesium
• Superior ductility
• Ultimate tensile strength of 16ksi to 41ksi
• High corrosion resistance
• Readily weldable with filler alloys
• Can be given surface finishing such as Anodizing

Aluminium Grade 3xxx Alloys

Manganese addition in grade 3xxx alloys can range from 0.05% to 1.8%. However, aluminium
can pair up to 1.5% Mn effectively. This is why the series features a limited number of alloys.
Widely used alloys from the 3xxx series are as below:

• Grade 3003 (1.0% – 1.5% Mn)

• Grade 3004 (1.0% – 1.5% Mn)
• Grade 3005 (1.0% – 1.5% Mn)
• Grade 3105 (0.3% – 0.8% Mn)
Applications for Aluminum 3xxx Series Alloys

Cookware
Grade 3xxx alloys can withstand high temperatures without changes. Pans and pots initially
used these alloys for production. Still, they’re one of the major components of many heat-
resistant utensils.

Figure 2: Pots
3. Aluminium-Silicon Alloy
The 4xxx wrought aluminum alloy series is also known as the 4000 series. These alloys are
primarily aluminum-silicon alloys with or without minor impurities. Some key characteristics
of the 4000 series aluminum alloys are as below:

• Lower melting point

• Provides good weldability as fillers
• Excellent wear resistance
• Heat treatability is based on impurities
• Ultimate tensile strength of 25ksi to 55ksi
• Increased strength after heat treatment
• Poor thermal expansion
• Improved fluidity

The 4000 series alloys are available as sheets, sheet plates, and coils. However, rare forms
include bars, castings, pipes, strips, tubes, and wires. Manufacturing usable wires from this
series is difficult due to the lower melting points. The most used commercial alloys of grade
4xxx alloys are as below:

• Grade 4032 (11.0% – 13.5% Si)

• Grade 4043 (4.5% – 6.0% Si)
• Grade 4045 (9.0% – 11.0% Si)
• Grade 4047 (11.0% – 13.0% Si)
• Grade 4145 (9.3% – 10.7% Si)
• Grade 4343 (6.8% – 8.2% Si)
• Grade 4643 (3.6% – 4.6% Si)
Aluminum Grade 4xxx Series Alloy Applications

Engine
Sufficient resistance to wear enables some non-heat-treatable alloys for mechanical uses.
Some commercial applications include manufacturing forged engine pistons.

Figure 3: Piston
4. Aluminium-Magnesium Alloy
The grade 5xxx also goes by as the 5000 series wrought aluminum alloys. Its aluminum-
magnesium (Al-Mg) system is the principal alloying element in the series. Magnesium is
widely used in alloying due to its excellent effectiveness. Mg is a superior hardener to Mn,
0.8% Mg = 1.25% Mn. So, adding magnesium in high quantities can enhance the 5000 series
alloy’s mechanical properties. Characteristics of grade 5xxx alloy are as below:
• Moderate-to-high mechanical strength
• Ultimate tensile strength of 18ksi to 51ksi
• Cold work (strain hardening) for further strength
• Non-heat-treatable
• Higher ductility when annealed (specific temp heat)
• Excellent corrosion resistance
• Stress corrosion at higher temps with over 3.5% Mg
• Superior weldability

Aluminium Grade 5xxx Alloys

Having the highest mechanical strength among non-heat-treatable ones, the series has many
uses. And the series features a higher number of aluminium-magnesium alloys. Some of the
most popular grade 5000 series alloys are as below:

• Grade 5005 (0.5% – 1.1% Mg, 0.2% Mn)

• Grade 5050 (1.1% – 1.8% Mg, 0.1% Mn)
• Grade 5052 (2.2% – 2.8% Mg, 0.1% Mn)
• Grade 5056 (4.5% – 5.6% Mg, 0.2% Mn)
• Grade 5083 (4.0% – 4.9% Mg, 0.1% Mn)
• Grade 5086 (3.5% – 4.5% Mg, 0.7% Mn)
• Grade 5154 (3.1% – 3.9% Mg, 0.1% Mn)
• Grade 5252 (2.2% – 2.8% Mg, 0.1% Mn)
• Grade 5254 (3.1% – 3.9% Mg, 0.01% Mn)
• Grade 5454 (2.4% – 3.0% Mg, 1.0% Mn)
• Grade 5456 (4.7% – 5.5% Mg, 1.0% Mn)
Applications for Aluminium 5xxx Series Alloys

The weldability and strength make these wrought aluminium alloys ideal for a wide array of
applications. Foil, pipe, plate, sheet, and wire are the most common forms of industrial use.
Bar, coil, extrusions, rod, shate (4mm – 6mm sheet + plate), and tube are also available. But
for manufacturing more intricate parts, Aluminium die casting could be a better option.
Marine
Alloys in the series hold good corrosion resistance even in marine atmospheres. Shipbuilding
industry and bridge construction benefit from its mechanical strength and wear resistance.

Figure 4: Boat Hulls

5. Aluminium-Magnesium-Silicon Alloy
The 6xxx or 6000 series of wrought aluminum alloys features Magnesium (Mg) and Silicone
(Si). These alloying element forms Magnesium Silicide (Mg2Si) with aluminum. The two
predominant components must maintain perfect proportions to create the Al-Mg-Si system.
characteristics of 6000 series alloys are as below:
• Good resistance to corrosion and rust
• Sufficient weight-to-strength ratio
• Ultimate tensile strength of 18ksi to 58ksi
• Heat treatable for further strengthening
• Good formability, especially for extrusions
• Sensitivity to naturally solidification crack
• Hard to weld due to susceptibility to cracking
• Susceptible to high-temp artificial aging
• Good for anodizing, coloring, and coating
• Has excellent machinability

Applications for Aluminium 6xxx Series Alloys

Easy machinability and reasonable mechanical properties make grade 6xxx alloys suitable for
many uses. These alloys exist in standard forms like sheets, plates, extrusions, flat bars, and
tubes. Additional forms like beam, billet, coil, pipe, rod, square, box, strip, and wire are
available.
Construction
Sufficient strength, great finish, and protective coating/polish enable these alloys for structural
uses. Lower-strength alloys like 6063 are in frames where strength isn’t the primary
consideration. Windows, doors, railings, and electrical tools have them.

Figure 5: House window

6. Aluminium-Zinc Alloy
The 7xxx or 7000 wrought aluminum series features Zinc (Zn) as the primary alloying element.
And this series has higher mechanical strength than all groups in the Aluminum Association
Inc designation. Most of the 7000 series members are the toughest commercial-grade aluminum
alloys.
Being sensitive to the alloying contents, crafting alloys of this group is complex. Solution
treatment, aging, and heat treatment are directly involved in its manufacturing. Features of the
grade 7000 aluminum alloys are as below:
• Ultimate tensile strength of 32ksi to 88ksi
• Heat treatable for strengthening
• Sufficient fracture toughness
• Mostly non-weldable
• Excellent fatigue properties
• Considerably high weight-to-strength ratio
• Satisfying corrosion resistance
• High ductility and formability

Yield strength can be increased by 3-5 times using solution treatment followed by
natural/artificial aging. Moreover, Keeping the total alloying content below 8% ensures good
formability and weldability. However, the ductility of these high-strength alloys declines with
the heat treatment process.
Aluminium Grade 7xxx Alloys
Properties tend to change considerably with slight variations in the alloying elements. Widely
used aluminium grade 7000 series alloys in the industry are as below:
• Grade 7001 (6.8% – 8.0% Zn, 2.6% – 3.4% Mg)
• Grade 7005 (4.0% – 5.0% Zn, 1.0% – 1.8% Mg)
• Grade 7039 (3.5% – 4.5% Zn, 2.3% – 3.3% Mg)
• Grade 7072 (0.8% – 1.3% Zn, Max 0.10% Mg)
• Grade 7075 (5.1% – 6.1% Zn, 2.1% – 2.9% Mg)
• Grade 7178 (6.7% – 7.3% Zn, 2.4% – 3.1% Mg)
Applications for Aluminium 7xxx Series Alloys

Superior mechanical strength makes 7xxx alloys suitable for heavy commercial applications.
Hydraulics
High-performance applications also use some high-strength alloys. Extremely stressing
equipment like hydraulic press and similar parts often feature the series. Many competitive
sports gears are also manufactured using these alloys.

Figure 6: Hydraulic Cylinder

What is Annealing and Strain Hardening?

Annealing is a heat treatment process to reduce the internal stress while strain hardening is
deforming (bent/twist) a metal plastically to increase the dislocation in the metal to make it
harder and stronger.

How steel is made?

Steel are made through various step which are mining, blast furnace or basic oxygen furnace
and electric arc furnace process. The raw material are collected by mining and call as iron ore
which then smelted in a blast furnace to produce molten iron. Afterwards, it is transfer to a
basic oxygen furnace to produce steel.