6061 Aluminum (originally known as Alloy 61s and also known as structural aluminum) is one of the most used and popular aluminum alloys. Properties of pure aluminum and any other pure metal are fixed, which means their strength, melting points, durability, malleability, and lots of other characteristics don’t change. But, alloys like 6061 aluminum are different. They are made by mixing the pure metal with two or more other elements for customizing the properties. Alloys are made to achieve different types of properties that’s why some alloys are stronger, some alloys are more durable and some are flexible than the pure metal. Aluminum is mainly alloyed with different types of metals to improve its strength and make it as strong as pure steel.
Aluminum alloys are divided into 2 classes. One is casting alloys and another one is wrought alloys. Casting alloys are alloys that can be poured into molds or cast in sand in order to shape them. Wrought alloys, which include 6061 aluminum alloy, are cast and then hand-worked by forging, extruding, or rolling them into required and desired shapes. Some wrought alloys can also be heat-treated by lots of different methods to enhance their hardness and strength.
Properties of 6061 Aluminum Alloy - 6061 Aluminum was first developed in 1935 and is a famous heat-treatable aluminum alloy for many types of commercial use. 6061 alloy is primarily made with aluminum, magnesium, and silicon. Other elements of this alloy are iron, chromium, manganese, copper, titanium, and zinc. This alloy is medium-to-high strength, lightweight, and economical metal. Before, alloys were highly vulnerable to stress-corrosion cracking, but this alloy has a high resistance to corrosion due to a small amount of Chromium.
Toughness, structural strength, good surface finish, perfect corrosion resistance, nice machinability, and high weldability are some of the most popular features of 6061 aluminum. Most aluminum alloys are difficult to weld as they lack conductivity and some chemical compositions. 6061 alloy can be easily welded though it loses some strength. However, the strength can be restored by reheat treatment and artificially aged process; this makes this alloy one of the superior alloys.
Uses of 6061 Aluminum Alloy - 6061 Extruded Aluminum Bar is mostly used as construction metal, mainly in the manufacture of automotive or aerospace components. The automotive industry generally uses 6061 alloys in yachts, motorcycles, fishing reels, camera lenses, scuba tanks, bicycle frames, electrical fittings, valves, and couplings. It is used in aluminum cans, and the foil wrapper inside food containers is also made with 6061 aluminum alloy. Plus, aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloys are extensively used in wide-span roof structures.
Top-quality metal at a truly competitive price is easily available Arch Metals supplies top quality 6061 Extruded Aluminum bar for use in various industries. You can buy various types of bars like round, square, and flat. Just contact us and get your money-saver quote.