1050A (Al99.5, 3.0255, 1B) Aluminum
1050A aluminum is a 1000-series aluminum alloy: it is considered commercially pure, and is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 1050A is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-1050A. 1B is the British Standard (BS) designation. Additionally, the AFNOR (French) designation is A5.
It originally received its standard designation in 1972.
The properties of 1050A aluminum include thirteen common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare 1050A aluminum to: 1000-series alloys (top), all aluminum alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness
20 to 45
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
1.1 to 33 %
Fatigue Strength
22 to 55 MPa 3.1 to 7.9 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
44 to 97 MPa 6.4 to 14 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
68 to 170 MPa 9.8 to 25 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
22 to 150 MPa 3.2 to 21 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
170 °C 340 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
660 °C 1220 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
650 °C 1190 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
230 W/m-K 130 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
59 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
200 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.0 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.2 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1200 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
1.9 to 19 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
3.7 to 160 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
6.9 to 18 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
14 to 25 points
Thermal Diffusivity
94 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
3.0 to 7.6 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 1050A aluminum is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of iron (Fe) and silicon (Si). Most of the time, iron is an impurity in aluminum alloys. However, it may be added in quantity to improve strength (particularly at high temperatures) without much impact on electrical properties. Silicon is used to increase strength at the expense of ductility. It also lowers the melting temperature and raises the fluidity of the alloy.
| Al | 99.5 to 100 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.070 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Mg | 0 to 0.050 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 754-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Cold drawn rod/bar and tube. Mechanical properties
Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, John E. Hatch (editor), 1984
EN 755-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Extruded rod/bar, tube and profiles. Mechanical properties
EN 485-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Sheet, strip and plate. Mechanical properties
ASM Specialty Handbook: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 1993
ISO 6361-2: Wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys - Sheets, strips and plates - Part 2: Mechanical properties
EN 573-3: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Chemical composition and form of wrought products. Chemical composition and form of products