2024 (AlCu4Mg1, 3.1355, 2L97, A92024) Aluminum
2024 aluminum is a 2000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is copper, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 2024 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-2024. AlCu4Mg1 is the EN chemical designation. 2L97 is the British Standard (BS) designation. A92024 is the UNS number. Additionally, the AFNOR (French) designation is A-U4G1.
It has been in use since 1931, but has only received its standard designation in 1954. This material is well established: the Further Reading section below cites a number of published standards, and that list is not necessarily exhaustive.
The properties of 2024 aluminum include 19 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 2024 aluminum to: 2000-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
71 GPa 10 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
4.0 to 16 %
Fatigue Strength
90 to 180 MPa 13 to 26 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
27 GPa 3.9 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
130 to 320 MPa 18 to 46 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
200 to 540 MPa 29 to 79 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
100 to 490 MPa 14 to 71 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
390 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
200 °C 390 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
500 °C 930 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
880 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 70 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
30 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
90 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
11 % relative
Calomel Potential
-600 mV
Density
3.0 g/cm3 190 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.3 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 65 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1140 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
20 to 68 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
70 to 1680 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
46 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
18 to 50 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
25 to 49 points
Thermal Diffusivity
46 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
8.6 to 24 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 2024 aluminum is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of copper (Cu) and including zirconium (Zr). Copper is used to improve strength. This comes at the cost of a decrease in corrosion resistance and weldability. Zirconium is used to increase an alloy's recrystallization temperature, which increases the temperature at which the alloy can be used without permanent loss of mechanical properties.
| Al | 90.7 to 94.7 | |
| Cu | 3.8 to 4.9 | |
| Mg | 1.2 to 1.8 | |
| Mn | 0.3 to 0.9 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.5 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.5 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Zr | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 586-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Forgings. Mechanical properties and additional property requirements.
ASTM B210: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Drawn Seamless Tubes
ASTM B211: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Bar, Rod, and Wire
ASTM B221: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes
Environmental Degradation of Advanced and Traditional Engineering Materials, Lloyd H. Hihara et al., 2014.
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
ASTM B209: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
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