5456-H321 Aluminum
5456-H321 aluminum is 5456 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 5456-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
Brinell Hardness
90
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
14 %
Fatigue Strength
210 MPa 31 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
210 MPa 30 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
340 MPa 50 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
250 MPa 37 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
390 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
65 °C 150 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
190 °C 370 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
570 °C 1060 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 68 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
29 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
97 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
9.0 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1170 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
43 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
470 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
35 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
40 points
Thermal Diffusivity
48 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
15 points
Alloy Composition
| Al | 92 to 94.8 | |
| Mg | 4.7 to 5.5 | |
| Mn | 0.5 to 1.0 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Cr | 0.050 to 0.2 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.2 | |
| 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 B928: Standard Specification for High Magnesium Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate for Marine Service
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
Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013
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
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993