5059-H321 Aluminum
5059-H321 aluminum is 5059 aluminum in the H321 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is strain hardened, and then stabilized, to a strength that is roughly a quarter of the way between annealed (O) and full-hard (H38). The treatment process also has to leave the metal with a certain degree of resistance to intergranular and exfoliation corrosion.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 5059-H321 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
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
69 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
11 %
Fatigue Strength
240 MPa 35 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
250 MPa 36 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
410 MPa 60 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
300 MPa 43 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
390 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
65 °C 150 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
210 °C 420 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
650 °C 1200 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
510 °C 960 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
110 W/m-K 62 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
29 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
95 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
9.1 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
160 MJ/kg 67 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1160 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
42 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
640 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
42 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
45 points
Thermal Diffusivity
44 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
18 points
Alloy Composition
| Al | 89.9 to 94 | |
| Mg | 5.0 to 6.0 | |
| Mn | 0.6 to 1.2 | |
| Zn | 0.4 to 0.9 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.5 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.45 | |
| Zr | 0.050 to 0.25 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.2 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Further Reading
ASTM B928: Standard Specification for High Magnesium Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate for Marine Service
Handbook of Aluminum vol. 2: Alloy Production and Materials Manufacturing, George Totten and D. Scott MacKenzie (editors), 2003
Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, John E. Hatch (editor), 1984
ASTM B209: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
EN 485-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Sheet, strip and plate. Mechanical properties
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