6018 (AlMg1SiPbMn) Aluminum
6018 aluminum is a 6000-series aluminum alloy: there is significant alloying with both magnesium and silicon, and the alloy is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 6018 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6018. AlMg1SiPbMn is the EN chemical designation. Additionally, the UNS number is A96018.
It received its standard designation in 1991, making it a fairly young material.
The properties of 6018 aluminum include three 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 6018 aluminum to: 6000-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 10 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
9.0 to 9.1 %
Fatigue Strength
85 to 89 MPa 12 to 13 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
170 to 180 MPa 25 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
290 to 300 MPa 42 to 43 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
220 to 230 MPa 32 to 33 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
160 °C 320 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
570 °C 1060 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
890 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
170 W/m-K 96 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
44 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
140 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
10 % relative
Density
2.9 g/cm3 180 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.2 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 65 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1180 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
24 to 25 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
360 to 380 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
48 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
28 to 29 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
34 to 35 points
Thermal Diffusivity
65 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6018 aluminum is notable for including lead (Pb) and bismuth (Bi). Lead is used to improve machinability at the cost of toxicity and a decrease in weldability. Bismuth is used to improve machinability at the cost of a decrease in weldability.
| Al | 93.1 to 97.8 | |
| Mg | 0.6 to 1.2 | |
| Si | 0.5 to 1.2 | |
| Pb | 0.4 to 1.2 | |
| Mn | 0.3 to 0.8 | |
| Bi | 0.4 to 0.7 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.7 | |
| Cu | 0.15 to 0.4 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.3 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 755-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Extruded rod/bar, tube and profiles. Mechanical properties
ASM Specialty Handbook: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 1993
EN 573-3: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Chemical composition and form of wrought products. Chemical composition and form of products
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015