Aluminium: Grades Compared

The general properties of aluminium are well known. It is lightweight and flexible, highly resistant to corrosion, offers good thermal and electrical conductivity and is easily recycled. More specifically, the different grades of aluminium also offer further characteristics that make them particularly suitable for different applications.

In this blog post, we will compare three of the most commonly used grades – 6005, 6061 and 6082. We will look at the properties each grade offers, the benefits they bring and their typical uses.

Aluminium 6061

Aluminium 6061 is a versatile alloy of aluminium, magnesium and silicon that offers high strength, corrosion resistance and durability with good machining and welding characteristics.

This makes it an ideal material for structural components and manufacturing a wide range of products from bicycle frames to aerospace and marine applications.

Aluminium 6082

Aluminium 6082 is also an alloy of aluminium, magnesium and silicon, but combines better machinability and strength than 6061 with good weldability. It is also a good choice for components that are to be anodised.

This is why aluminium 6082 is frequently used for machine parts and transportation equipment, where higher material stresses are involved.

Aluminium 6005/6005A

Another alloy of aluminium, magnesium and silicon, aluminium 6005 offers excellent corrosion resistance and moderate strength. With its excellent formability, 6005A is also the aluminium grade of choice for deep draw stamping and extrusion, where it delivers a better mill finish.

Corrosion resistance and malleability combined with a lower cost than 6061 and 6082 alloys make aluminium 6005 and 6005A popular choices for architectural and automotive applications.

At Kinley, we use 6005A for all our AluExcel and Apex aluminium landscape edging as it is excellent for extruding the edging sections, can be easily formed on location to fit the contours of a landscape design and delivers the practical and aesthetic advantages of high corrosion resistance and a good quality mill finish.

Choosing aluminium for its properties: a quick guide

Strength

Of the three alloys, aluminium 6082 is the strongest, followed closely by 6061. Aluminium 6005 offers good strength but is less likely to be used for structural components where there may be higher stresses.

Formability and weldability

Both 6005 and 6005A offer excellent formability with 6005A being the best for extruded aluminium products. 6061 and 6082 combine good formability with better weldability than 6005.

Machinability

Due to its greater strength, aluminium 6082 is excellent for machining and will easily hold intricate details. 6061 is a reasonably good aluminium for machining, but this process wouldn’t be recommended for 6005 or 6005A.

Cost

Complementing their suitability for larger components such as extruded and stamped sheets and panels, 6005 and 6005A are cheaper than 6061 and 6082.

For information on the Kinley range of landscape edging, contact us on 01580 830688 or email sales@kinley.co.uk.