242.0-T61 Cast Aluminum
242.0-T61 aluminum is 242.0 aluminum in the T61 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is solution heat-treated and artificially underaged. The degree of underaging is different from T64 and T65. It has the highest strength and lowest ductility compared to the other variants of 242.0 aluminum.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 242.0-T61 aluminum to: ANSI/AA cast aluminums (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
110
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
73 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
0.5 %
Fatigue Strength
65 MPa 9.4 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
27 GPa 4.0 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
240 MPa 35 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
290 MPa 43 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
220 MPa 32 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
390 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
210 °C 400 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
530 °C 990 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.3 %
Specific Heat Capacity
870 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
130 W/m-K 77 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
22 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
33 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
96 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
12 % relative
Calomel Potential
-650 mV
Density
3.1 g/cm3 190 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.3 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 64 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1130 L/kg 130 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
1.3 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
340 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
45 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
26 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
32 points
Thermal Diffusivity
50 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 points
Alloy Composition
| Al | 88.4 to 93.6 | |
| Cu | 3.5 to 4.5 | |
| Ni | 1.7 to 2.3 | |
| Mg | 1.2 to 1.8 | |
| Fe | 0 to 1.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.7 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.35 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.35 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.25 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Further Reading
ASTM B618: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Investment Castings
ASTM B108: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Permanent Mold Castings
ASTM B26: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Sand Castings
Iron in Aluminium Alloys: Impurity and Alloying Element, N. A. Belov et al., 2002
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993