Difference Between Alloy and Aluminum

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The key difference between alloy and aluminum is that an alloy is a substance formed from mixing two or more different chemical elements whereas aluminum is a chemical element that we can find on earth’s crust as a metal.

Aluminum is a metallic element with a silvery white appearance that is found in abundance in earth’s crust. Though making up almost 8% of the earth’s crust, it does not occur naturally as a free metal as it is chemically too reactive. On the other hand, an alloy is a substance that is consisting of several chemical elements. Aluminum has a wide range of applications in producing alloys because when we are converting metal into an alloy, it enhances the properties of the metal. Therefore, it becomes more useful to use the alloy rather than the individual metal.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Alloy
3. What is Aluminum
4. Side by Side Comparison – Alloy vs Aluminum in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Alloy?

An alloy is a substance in which we combine several chemical elements to enhance the properties of a metal. For the production of an alloy, we can combine either two or more metals or a metal and another chemical element. Either way, it forms an impure substance because there are several components in an alloy. We call it an “admixture”. It retains and enhances the characteristics of a metal. However, it is not an impure metal, because we produce an alloy by adding components under controlled conditions and in defined amounts that provide desirable properties. Specifically, one or more component in the alloy must be a metal.

The most common and the oldest technique of producing an alloy is by heating the metal beyond its melting point to dissolve the other components into the molten liquid. This is possible even if the melting point of the solutes are far greater than this temperature. However, this technique is not useful with metals and elements having very high melting points; eg. Iron and carbon. There, we should use the technique of solid state diffusion in order to make the alloy. Or else, we can use a method that has all the components involves in the alloying process in their gaseous state.

Types

There are two major types of alloys that can form during the alloy production namely, substitutional alloys and interstitial alloys. These two forms differ from each other according to the mechanism from which the alloy forms. Substitutional alloys form via atom exchange mechanism while interstitial alloys form via the interstitial mechanism. In brief, the atom exchange mechanism occurs when the atoms of the constituents are relatively similar in size whereas, an interstitial mechanism occurs when one type of atoms is much smaller than the other type of atoms.

What is Aluminum?

Aluminum is a chemical element having the atomic number 13 and chemical symbol Al. It appears as a silvery-white, soft metal. Moroever, it is nonmagnetic and highly ductile. It is abundant on earth (8% of earth’s crust). This metal is highly chemically reactive. Therefore, it is difficult to find native specimens of aluminum. Especially, this metal has a low density. Thus, is lightweight and it is able to resist corrosion via forming an oxide layer on its surface.

Some chemical facts about this metal are as follows:

• Chemical symbol is Al.
• Atomic number is 13.
• Electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2 3p1
• Standard atomic weight is 26.98.
• At room temperature and pressure, it is in a solid
• The melting point is 660.32 °C
• The boiling point is 2470 °C
• Most stable oxidation state is +3.

When considering the alloys of aluminum, the typical alloying components are copper, magnesium, zinc, silicon and tin. There are two forms of aluminum alloys as casting alloys and wrought alloys. We can divide both these groups into two groups as heat-treatable and non-heat-treatable aluminum alloys. However, about 85% of the useful aluminum alloys are wrought forms.

What is the Difference Between Alloy and Aluminum?

Aluminum is a chemical element while an alloy is a mixture of several chemical elements. Hence, the key difference between alloy and aluminum is that an alloy is a substance formed from mixing two or more different chemical elements whereas aluminum is a chemical element that we can find on earth’s crust as a metal. In its pure form, aluminum has no use because of its low tensile strength but finds extensive use when its alloys are made by adding elements such as zinc, manganese, copper, and magnesium.

Summary – Alloy vs Aluminum

Aluminum is a metal that we can find on earth’s crust in abundance. On the other hand, an alloy is a substance that forms from mixing two or more different elements. The key difference between alloy and aluminum is that an alloy is a substance formed from mixing two or more different chemical elements whereas aluminum is a chemical element that we can find on earth’s crust as a metal.

Reference:

1. “Aluminium.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2018. Available here  
2. “Alloy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2018. Available here  

Image Courtesy:

1.”Türzieher Bremen 1405″By Alfred Löhr – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 
2.”Aluminium-4″By Unknown (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia 

Alloyed metals are typically stronger, more durable, and higher quality than their commercially pure counterparts. SendCutSend offers several steel and aluminum alloys with a spectrum of values and applications. This article will walk you through identifying alloyed metals, and the aluminum alloys that SendCutSend offers for laser cutting. 

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Identifying aluminum alloys

Alloyed metals are indicated using a 4-digit identification system. Each digit represents a different aspect of the alloy and is typically written in front of the original pure metal for clarity (e.g. 1095 High Carbon Steel, 5052 Aluminum). This article specifically covers the most common aluminum alloys, so we’ll only be showing how to read the 4-digit identification system for aluminum alloys. The digits denote different things if it’s a steel or other kind of alloy.

The first digit represents the main alloying element. 

• “1” indicates there are no alloyed elements and it’s pure aluminum
• “2” indicates copper
• “5” indicates magnesium
• “6” indicates magnesium and silicon
• “7” indicates zinc
• “8” is reserved for all other alloying agents

We also use these numbers to identify whole series of aluminum alloys. For example, knowing that “2” indicates copper, we would refer generally to aluminum-copper alloys as “2xxx series.”

The second digit indicates any special alloying conditions and whether or not the alloy has been modified from its original state. If the digit is “0,” no unique modifications or conditions are present. This is the case with most commonly used aluminum alloys.

The third and fourth digits are used to serialize and identify individual alloys. If it’s a 1xxx series (a pure aluminum alloy with at least 99% aluminum), the last two digits indicate the minimum aluminum percentage above 99%. For example, 1060 aluminum has to be made up of at least 99.60% pure aluminum.

2024 T3 Aluminum

Laser cut 2024 T3 Aluminum is the only aluminum alloy SendCutSend offers that is alloyed with copper. Copper is what gives this aluminum its high tensile strength, elasticity, and yield strength. 

Pros of 2024 Aluminum

The tensile strength of 2024 Aluminum is unmatched thanks to the presence of copper, as well as the fatigue resistance. These advantages allow 2024 to withstand high stress and pressure environments better than other aluminum alloys, making it an ideal material choice for aircraft paneling, military vehicle applications, and structural construction parts.

Cons of 2024 Aluminum

While copper provides a number of advantages, it can compromise some aspects of the pure aluminum when they’re alloyed. Aluminum is known for its corrosion resistance, which typically lends itself to aluminum’s many marine environment applications. However, when alloyed with copper, much of that corrosion resistance is lost, making 2024 less suitable for use in highly corrosive environments.

2024 Aluminum Uses

• Aerospace industry paneling
• Combat robotics
• High pressure cylinders
• Automotive engine parts
• Military vehicles and tactical gear

5052 Aluminum

Laser cut 5052 Aluminum is a staple material and the standard go-to metal for dozens of industries. Alloyed with magnesium, 5052 is highly corrosion resistant, easy to work with, and has one of the best strength-to-weight ratios for its affordable price. 

Pros of 5052 Aluminum

5052 aluminum is favored for its affordability and workability. Due to the fact that it is not heat treated, 5052 is more suited than other aluminum alloys to forming, especially in sheet metal form. This means it’s easy to bend, roll, and tap sheet 5052 aluminum, allowing you to design an endless number of unique parts without worrying about forming difficulties. 5052 also contains another secondary element, which is chromium. The presence of chromium in the alloy further prevents 5052 aluminum from corroding, lending 5052 to even more marine environment applications than other corrosion-resistant materials.

Cons of 5052 Aluminum

5052 aluminum cannot be heat-treated to increase its strength. As a result, it is weaker than higher-strength aluminum alloys such as 6061 and 7075. Of the most commonly used aluminum alloys, 5052 also has one of the lowest levels of thermal conductivity, making it less suited for heat dissipation applications. 

5052 Aluminum Uses

• Motor mounts
• Flooring panels
• Boating panels and parts
• Electrical enclosures/boxes
• Fencing

6061 T6 Aluminum

Laser cut 6061 T6 Aluminum is alloyed with both magnesium and silicon, strengthening the aluminum in ways that have helped make it one of the most widely used alloys in many industries. It’s heat-resistant, has high fatigue strength, and is favored for its weldability.

Pros of 6061 Aluminum

Magnesium and silicon together in 6061 Aluminum create magnesium-silicide, which allows 6061 to go through a heat-treatment process called precipitation hardening. This process strengthens the alloy while maintaining its weldability. The increased fatigue strength gives the 6061 impact resistance, making it ideal for high-impact and high vibratory environments, such as those found in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Cons of 6061 Aluminum

Because 6061 Aluminum is heat treated, it loses some of the formability that other aluminum alloys boast. 6061 has a tendency to crack and warp during the bending and tapping process, so it’s not the best candidate for more complicated designs that require additional forming.

6061 Aluminum Uses

• Precision robotics
• Transportation
• Infrastructure (buildings, bridges, etc.)
• Welded furniture
• Heat exchangers

7075 Aluminum

Alloyed with zinc, laser cut 7075 aluminum has the highest tensile strength of any of the aluminum alloys SendCutSend offers. Its sturdiness, strength, and durability make 7075 one of the most impressive and high quality of the aluminum alloys. 

Pros of 7075 Aluminum

The presence of zinc in 7075 increases the tensile strength exponentially. It also allows for precipitation hardening, increasing the shear strength of the material. 7075 is also light-weight and has a strength-to-weight ratio unparalleled by other alloys. This lends itself to applications where strength is of the utmost importance, and the weight budget is low. Everything from the cycling industry to military defense development utilizes 7075 aluminum in their projects.

Cons of 7075 Aluminum

Similar to 2024 T3 Aluminum, 7075 has low corrosion resistance when compared to other aluminum alloys. It’s less suited for corrosive environments or applications in which there will be extreme weathering. 7075 is also one of the most costly aluminum alloys, making it less suitable for a wider range of projects since it’s not cost effective. (Check out our blog post on maximizing your budget for laser cut sheet metal parts to learn what materials you should substitute for cost effectiveness.)

7075 Aluminum Uses

• Bicycle frames
• Worm gears
• Aircraft wing panels
• Structural beams
• Rock climbing equipment

Picking the Aluminum Alloys That Are Best For You

Alloying other metals with raw aluminum makes a stronger, better material with a variety of uses and strengths. Choosing the right alloy for your projects is one of the most important aspects of designing a successful part. Be sure to read each alloy’s individual information page to make sure you are selecting the material that best fits your needs.

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