1085 (Al99.85) Aluminum
1085 aluminum is a 1000-series aluminum alloy: it is considered commercially pure, and is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 1085 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-1085. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is Al99,85. And the UNS number is A91085.
It originally received its standard designation in 1954.
The properties of 1085 aluminum include nine 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 1085 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
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
4.5 to 39 %
Fatigue Strength
22 to 49 MPa 3.2 to 7.1 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
48 to 79 MPa 7.0 to 11 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
73 to 140 MPa 11 to 20 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
17 to 120 MPa 2.5 to 17 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
170 °C 340 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1190 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
640 °C 1180 °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
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
61 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
200 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.3 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
160 MJ/kg 67 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1200 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
4.8 to 21 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
2.1 to 110 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
7.5 to 14 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
14 to 22 points
Thermal Diffusivity
94 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
3.3 to 6.1 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 1085 aluminum is notable for including gallium (Ga) and vanadium (V). Gallium is used to improve corrosion resistance and to modify an alloy's response to etching, brightening, and similar treatments. Vanadium is used to reduce grain size and increase recrystallization temperature.
| Al | 99.85 to 100 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.12 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.1 | |
| V | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Ga | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.020 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.020 | |
| Mg | 0 to 0.020 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.010 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, John E. Hatch (editor), 1984
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
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993