Aluminum is considered a great substance with numerous beneficial properties. It is currently the most widely common non-ferrous metal in the world due to a special mix of qualities. It is frequently compared to steel. A class of metals that people are utilizing extensively worldwide aluminum’s material.
Although aluminum has several advantages, product designers should nevertheless carefully consider all of their available options. In this blog article, we are going to discuss what are aluminum’s material benefits and drawbacks. However, it’s important to remember the following things in mind.
Strength To Weight Ratio
The AA7068-T6 aluminum alloy, which has an ultimate tensile strength of 710 MPa (103 ksi), is one of the strongest available. Alloys consisting of steel are often stronger than those having aluminum. Since it only has an ultimate tensile strength of about 90 MPa (13 ksi). In addition, the elemental aluminum isn’t all that durable. However, you can enhance the strength of aluminum significantly by the addition of alloying substances and tempers.
However, aluminum alloys are about three times lighter than steel, with densities ranging from 2.64 g/cm3 to 2.81 g/cm3. Aluminum is still a better choice. Because of this, aluminum alloys are popular for having a remarkable strength-to-weight ratio.
1. Corrosion Protection
Aluminum naturally resists corrosion because of a passivating layer that forms on its surface. Such alloys are, therefore, extremely robust in a variety of humid or wet situations. There are many types of aluminum alloys, and they have different levels of corrosion resistance. They all outperform standard carbon steels, nevertheless. Stainless steel and Inconel alloys can offer higher corrosion resistance in harsh situations.
However, you must explain why their price is higher. Another choice is to select one of the numerous aluminum finishing options available. They can help further shield the surface of your product from the outside elements.
2. Durability and Strength
Hardness and ductility frequently have an inverse relationship. And when you compare it to alternatives like tough tool steel, aluminum is a relatively soft, ductile metal. Aluminum has excellent formability and flexibility because of its ductile nature. Therefore, it is simple to work with while producing squeeze-out or pressed goods. Less processing costs and more complicated parts may be the end result without risking the aluminum’s material.
Although ductility is advantageous as well, a ductile material also has a tendency to damage more quickly under frequent wear stress. Therefore, you can select the hardened steel or even tungsten carbide if the product is showing extreme friction.
3. Critical Point
Steel and titanium have substantially higher melting points than aluminum. In comparison to many metals, it also softens at a lower temperature. Because of this, shaping it using techniques like aluminum extrusion only needs a small amount of energy.
In contrast, this also implies that aluminum is inappropriate for a variety of high-temperature service applications. However, aluminum’s excellent thermal conductivity enables it to move heat quickly away from the heat source. Meanwhile, it provides an adequate cooling that allows it to maintain integrity.
4. Temperature Conduction
Aluminum is a common component in many thermal management and heat exchange systems. This is due to its high thermal conductivity. However, if you compare it to copper, the thermal conductivity is actually roughly 40% lower. Copper is, hence, a more conductive heat sink.
Nevertheless, aluminum is less expensive and lighter than copper. Professional product designers typically choose aluminum’s material for heat exchangers or heat sinks. This is to reduce weight and expense.
Conductivity Of Electricity
Engineers occasionally compare the electrical conductivity of copper and aluminum. Additionally, aluminum is much lighter and less expensive, even though it is only 39% as conductive as copper.
- For many electrical applications, such as high-voltage transmission lines, it is a common factor to consider. However, keep in mind that conductivity may be impacted by certain aluminum coatings.
- We’ve talked about qualities like electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. But remember, when you use surface finishes like anodizing or powder coating, those qualities may alter.
- For instance, anodizing a part increases its resistance to wear. Additionally, it becomes less electrically conductive and more thermally and corrosion-resistant.
Moreover, the surface polishing can improve a part’s appearance. For instance, sublimation enables you to apply a variety of wood-look patterns. Because of this, you need to see how surface treatments affect functionality and aesthetics when comparing aluminum to other metals.
Price of Metal
Compared to copper, titanium, stainless steel, and many other specialty metals, aluminum is less expensive. However, the price of aluminum metal raw material supplier also tends to be higher if you compare it to that of low carbon and low alloy steel in their standard grades. You could also wish to take non-metal options like plastics into consideration. This depends on the application. These may also result in significant cost reductions.
Given that worldwide markets are always changing, it might be challenging to estimate the cost of material choices. You must determine which aluminum’s material gives the necessary qualities at the most affordable price.
Choose the Best Product of Aluminum’s Material
The most important thing to remember is that aluminum has different benefits and drawbacks depending on the situation in which you’re using it. A low melting point, for instance, is great for cutting some processing costs. However, it restricts aluminum’s capacity to handle high-temperature applications.
Due to its remarkable combination of qualities, aluminum is a particularly popular metal. People are using it in a wide range of sectors and applications. This includes electronics, furniture, chemical processing parts, and aerospace.
It is a very flexible metal, and there is a significant probability that it will be the ideal metal for your upcoming project. Designers who decide to use aluminum must then decide which fabrication technique best suits their requirements.
Suppose you are in search of a wholesale aluminum alloy parts supplier for bulk aluminum alloy parts. You can contact us at Uga Aluminum to source the most affordable aluminum alloy parts and products.
