Aluminum 4007 is an aluminium alloy with many uses in various industries. It is characterized by its excellent corrosion resistance and heat resistance. This alloy also has good mechanical properties, making it well-suited for machining and welding applications. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the composition, mechanical properties, physical properties, uses, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, heat treatment, machining and welding of Aluminum 4007.
Composition
Aluminum 4007 contains 4.5-5.5% magnesium and 0.6 – 0.9% manganese as its primary alloying elements. It also contains trace amounts of silicon, iron and copper which contribute to its strength and durability.
Chemical Elements |
Metric |
English |
Aluminum, Al |
94 – 97.6 % |
94 – 97.6 % |
Chromium, Cr |
0.05 – 0.25 % |
0.05 – 0.25 % |
Cobalt, Co |
<= 0.05 % |
<= 0.05 % |
Copper, Cu |
<= 0.20 % |
<= 0.20 % |
Iron, Fe |
0.40 – 1.0 % |
0.40 – 1.0 % |
Magnesium, Mg |
<= 0.20 % |
<= 0.20 % |
Manganese, Mn |
0.80 – 1.5 % |
0.80 – 1.5 % |
Nickel, Ni |
0.15 – 0.70 % |
0.15 – 0.70 % |
Other, each |
<= 0.05 % |
<= 0.05 % |
Other, total |
<= 0.15 % |
<= 0.15 % |
Silicon, Si |
1.0 – 1.7 % |
1.0 – 1.7 % |
Titanium, Ti |
<= 0.10 % |
<= 0.10 % |
Zinc, Zn |
<= 0.10 % |
<= 0.10 % |
Mechanical Properties
The alloy’s mechanical properties depend on the material’s temperature; however, generally speaking, it has good ductility and weldability along with good fatigue strength and creeps resistance up to 150°C (302°F). Its yield strength is around 55 MPa (8 ksi) for most tempers, with an ultimate tensile strength between 110-145 MPa (16-21 ksi).
Elastic (Young’s, Tensile) Modulus, GPa |
|
71 |
|
69 |
Elongation at Break, % |
|
5.1 to 23 |
|
3.4 to 20 |
Fatigue Strength, MPa |
|
46 to 88 |
|
58 to 110 |
Poisson’s Ratio |
|
0.33 |
|
0.33 |
Shear Strength, MPa |
|
80 to 90 |
|
84 to 210 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa |
|
130 to 160 |
|
130 to 410 |
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa |
|
50 to 120 |
|
76 to 370 |
Physical Properties
The physical properties of this alloy include a density of 2.70 g/cm3 (0.098 lb/in3), a coefficient of thermal expansion from 23-32 x 10-6 K-1 (13-18 x 10 -6 in/in °F) over 20–100°C (68–212°F) range and an electrical resistivity at 20°C (68°F) between 39–50 µΩ·m (20–27 mΩ·cm).
Properties |
Metric |
Imperial |
Density |
2.71 g/cm3 |
0.0979 lb/in3 |
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g |
|
410 |
|
400 |
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C |
|
170 |
|
170 |
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C |
|
650 |
|
650 |
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C |
|
590 |
|
580 |
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K |
|
890 |
|
900 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K |
|
170 |
|
170 |
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K |
|
23 |
|
24 |
Uses for Aluminium 4007
This particular aluminum alloy is typically used in automotive components such as brake drums and pistons due to its combination of high strength and wear resistance and good formability characteristics. It can also be used in aircraft components such as landing gear due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and its excellent corrosion resistance in salt water environments, making it suitable for marine applications too. Additionally, this material can be found in domestic appliances such as washing machines or tumble dryers because it does not require pre or post treatments before painting like other alloys do, making it cost effective for production batches with shorter lead times.
Aluminium 4007 Corrosion Resistance
This particular aluminum alloy has excellent corrosion resistance when exposed to fresh water and salt water environments thanks to its protective oxide layer, which forms when exposed to air or moisture. Its ability to resist corrosion even increases when anodized, further enhancing the aluminium’s natural barrier against corrosion due to the increased thickness of the oxide layer formed during the anodizing process.
Aluminum 4007 Heat Resistance
Al aluminium 4007 has exceptionally good heat resistance compared to other aluminum alloys; it can withstand temperatures up to 150 °C without losing any mechanical properties, although prolonged exposure may cause some degradation. Its ability to resist high temperatures makes it ideal for applications with higher temperatures, such as aircraft components, which are expected.
Heat Treatment
The heat treatment process for this particular aluminium alloy consists primarily of solution treating followed by artificial ageing; ageing helps increase hardness while retaining ductility. Solution treating removes hydrogen atoms from the surface, creating a harder surface while maintaining ductility ; once solution treated , artificial aging needs to be done in order achieve desired hardness levels .
Machining
Machining this aluminum alloy requires a carbide tooling , cutting speeds should be lower than those used when machining other alloys due to lower thermal conductivity resulting in higher tool wear rates . Additionally , cooling fluids need to be used when machining this material because they help reduce friction thus reducing cutting time while improving tool life
Welding
Welding aluminium4007 requires either gas tungsten arc welding using pure argon shielding gas or gas metal arc welding using argon – helium shielding gas mixture ; filler metals should match base metal composition in order ensure proper weld joint integrity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, aluminum4007 is an excellent choice for automotive components, aircraft components , marine applications and domestic appliances due their combination of high strength , wear resistance , formability characteristics along with their great corrosion & heat resistance making them suitable for almost any application requiring these qualities . Additionally their easy machinability & weldability makes them even more attractive option when choosing materials for your next project .
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