Alloy Identification  

Aluminum Sheet Factoids  

Aluminum sheet is metal that is thicker than a foil and thinner than 6mm. This requires an  outstanding strength-to-weight ratio and natural corrosion resistance. Aluminum sheet metal is versatile, practical, and popular for a broad range of applications.  

The aerospace industry makes great use of aluminum materials; sheet is the form that is used  most often with a wide variety of applications in general aerospace, and aircraft manufacturing.  

Additionally, aluminum sheet is used in manufacturing containers for the packaging industry, in  tractor-trailer and automobile body panels, cookware and kitchen appliances, and building  products, such as siding, awnings, roofing, gutters, and carports.  

Sheet aluminum can be treated with color anodizing etched for matte finishes. It is also polished to a reflective finish, which is common in most aircraft applications.  

Sheet aluminum is available in several alloys and in various tempers. This provides a highly  versatile material for aerospace and aircraft manufacturing, fabrication, and repair.  

At AAA Air Support, we carry a wide variety of aluminum sheet materials including, but not  limited to the following: 

2024-T3 Aluminum

2024-T3 is the most commonly used aerospace aluminum alloy as it contains excellent fatigue  resistance. 2024-T3 Alclad aluminum sheets are extensively used for aircraft skins, cowls,  aircraft structures, and specified for repair and restoration work.  

An additional benefit is the shiny finish of the 2024-T3 Alclad, which appeals to classic aircraft  projects. 2024 is however, not recommended in welding applications. 

Ultimate strength is 62000 PSI – shearing strength of 40000 PSI.  

6061-T6 Aluminum

Because of the remarkable corrosion resistance and finishing ability, in particular welding, this a  favorite with frames. It has also become the popular choice for high-end bicycles. 6061-T6 aluminum sheet is similar in strength to mild steel.

6061-T6 aluminum sheet can be fabricated by most of the techniques used for mild steel work.  Typical aerospace applications include aircraft landing mats, frames, structural components, and other similar parts.  

Ultimate strength is 45000 PSI – shearing strength of 30000 PSI.  

7075 Aluminum

7075 Aluminum is the main aerospace/aircraft alloy used in strengthening aircraft structures. Aluminum 7075 has Copper (1.6%), Magnesium (2.5%), and zinc (5.6%). Combined, these provide strength, however, the copper content creates an issue with welding. When the requirement is anodizing, 7075 is the metal. 7075 is machinable with a great finish.  

Ultimate strength is 33000 PSI (-0) and 82000 PSI (-T6) – shearing strength of 22000 PSI  (-0) and 49000 PSI (-T6).  

Temper designations indicate the process the alloy has been mechanically and/or thermally  treated to achieve certain properties. Tempering is generally done to reduce the brittleness of  the alloy.  

7075 aluminum alloy is available in several tempers. These include T6, T62, T651, T6511,  T73, T7351, and T73511. Each temper displays variations of ultimate tensile strength and  failure elongation. This directly relates to its stress capabilities.  

7178 Aluminum

7178 aluminum alloy is a wrought alloy. The metal is worked in solid form with the help of  specific tools. Wrought aluminum alloys typically offer numerous advantages over cast  aluminum, such as: 

• Excellent mechanical properties 
• Structural integrity, no defects from casting 
• Better surface finishes 
• Ease of manufacture, welding, and machining 
• Ease of forming 

7178 aluminum sheet contains a high zinc content. It is difficult to cold work and forming is a  challenge with this alloy, however, after annealing, aluminum alloy 7178 has high machinability.  Resistance welding can also be used.  

Ultimate strength of 88039 PSI – shearing strength of 78030 PSI.  

7050 Aluminum

Aluminum 7050 alloy is a heat treatable alloy. It provides high toughness, high-stress,  corrosion cracking resistance, and high strength at subzero temperatures. 7050 aluminum is commonly used as a commercial aerospace alloy.  

It is available in two tempers. These are T7451 and T7651 with 40 percent of the electrical  conductivity of copper. Welding should be avoided with Aluminum 7050. This process  weakens the alloy.  

Applications for Aluminum 7050 in the aerospace industry, include fuselage frames and  bulkheads, with a variety of other aircraft parts.  

Ultimate strength of 74694 PSI – shearing strength of 65992 PSI.  

7150 Aluminum

Aluminum 7150 alloy is a heat treatable wrought alloy used in the aerospace industry for  manufacturing aircraft components. Heat treatment improves the anti-corrosion properties with  a low corresponding decrease in strength.  

Ultimate strength of 88038 PSI – shearing strength of 81946 PSI.  

5052-H32 Aluminum

5052 is a very high-strength alloy. It is a non-heatable alloy and not structural. 5052  aluminum sheet properties include high fatigue strength and excellent corrosion resistance.  5052 aluminum sheet provide excellent formability and solid corrosion resistance.  

Fuel tank builds often make use of 5052 aluminum. It is also well suited to marine and  automotive applications with the excellent workability. 5052-H32 aluminum sheet has a tensile  strength range of 31000 to 44000 PSI with a shear strength of 20000 PSI.  

3003-H14 Aluminum

3003-H14 is the widest use of aluminum alloys. It is pure aluminum with manganese which  provides additional strength, this is approximately 20% stronger than the 100 series  aluminum. 3003-H14 aluminum sheet is highly workable and can be deep drawn, welded,  brazed, or spun. 3003 aluminum sheet is not-heat treatable. This sheet is commonly used for  cowl/baffle plating.  

Ultimate strength is 21000 PSI – shearing strength of 14000 PSI.