5251 (AlMg2Mn0.3, 3.3525, N4, A95251) Aluminum
5251 aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5251 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5251. N4 is the British Standard (BS) designation. A95251 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is AlMg2Mn0,3. And the AFNOR (French) designation is A-G2M.
It originally received its standard designation in 1972.
The properties of 5251 aluminum include 16 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 5251 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
44 to 79
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
2.0 to 19 %
Fatigue Strength
59 to 110 MPa 8.5 to 17 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
110 to 160 MPa 16 to 24 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
180 to 280 MPa 26 to 41 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
67 to 250 MPa 9.7 to 36 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
180 °C 360 °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
150 W/m-K 86 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
37 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
120 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.5 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1180 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
5.4 to 27 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
33 to 450 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
18 to 29 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
26 to 35 points
Thermal Diffusivity
61 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
7.9 to 13 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5251 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 | 95.5 to 98.2 | |
| Mg | 1.7 to 2.4 | |
| Mn | 0.1 to 0.5 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.5 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.15 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
Handbook of Aluminum vol. 2: Alloy Production and Materials Manufacturing, George Totten and D. Scott MacKenzie (editors), 2003
EN 754-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Cold drawn rod/bar and tube. Mechanical properties
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
ASM Specialty Handbook: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 1993
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