5052-H38 Aluminum
5052-H38 aluminum is 5052 aluminum in the H38 temper. This is the strongest temper normally produced through the action of strain hardening followed by stabilization. It is closely related to H18. The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 5052-H38 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
78
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
5.2 %
Fatigue Strength
140 MPa 20 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
170 MPa 24 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
300 MPa 44 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
250 MPa 36 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)
15 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
450 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
31 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
37 points
Thermal Diffusivity
57 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 points
Alloy Composition
| 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
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
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
Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013