5657 (Al99.85Mg1(A), A95657) Aluminum
5657 aluminum is a 5000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is magnesium, and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 5657 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-5657. A95657 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is Al99,85Mg1(A).
It originally received its standard designation in 1960.
The properties of 5657 aluminum include five 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 5657 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
40 to 50
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
68 GPa 9.8 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
6.6 to 15 %
Fatigue Strength
74 to 88 MPa 11 to 13 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
92 to 110 MPa 13 to 15 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
150 to 200 MPa 22 to 28 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
140 to 170 MPa 20 to 24 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
180 °C 360 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
660 °C 1210 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
210 W/m-K 120 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
54 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
180 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.4 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
160 MJ/kg 67 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1200 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
9.7 to 27 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
140 to 200 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
15 to 20 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
23 to 28 points
Thermal Diffusivity
84 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
6.7 to 8.6 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 5657 aluminum is notable for including gallium (Ga) and vanadium (V). Gallium is used to improve corrosion resistance and to modify an alloy's response to etching, brightening, and similar treatments. Vanadium is used to reduce grain size and increase recrystallization temperature.
| Al | 98.5 to 99.4 | |
| Mg | 0.6 to 1.0 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.080 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.050 | |
| V | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.030 | |
| Ga | 0 to 0.030 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.050 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B209: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
Aluminum Standards and Data, Aluminum Association Inc., 2013
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