5052 (AlMg2.5, 3.3523, A95052) Aluminum
5052 aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5052 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5052. A95052 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is AlMg2,5. And the AFNOR (French) designation is A-G2,5C.
It has been in use since 1930, 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 5052 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 5052 aluminum to: 5000-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
46 to 83
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
1.1 to 22 %
Fatigue Strength
66 to 140 MPa 9.5 to 20 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
120 to 180 MPa 17 to 26 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
190 to 320 MPa 27 to 46 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
75 to 280 MPa 11 to 41 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
190 °C 370 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
650 °C 1200 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
610 °C 1120 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
140 W/m-K 80 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
35 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
120 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Calomel Potential
-760 mV
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.6 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1190 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
1.7 to 69 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
41 to 590 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
19 to 33 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
27 to 38 points
Thermal Diffusivity
57 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
8.3 to 14 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5052 aluminum is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of magnesium (Mg). Magnesium promotes hardenability through both heat treatment and strain hardening mechanisms. It also increases susceptibility to intergranular corrosion.
| Al | 95.8 to 97.7 | |
| Mg | 2.2 to 2.8 | |
| Cr | 0.15 to 0.35 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Cu | 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
ASTM B483: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Drawn Tube and Pipe for General Purpose Applications
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 B547: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Formed and Arc-Welded Round Tube
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
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