6060 (AlMgSi, 3.3206, A96060) Aluminum
6060 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. 6060 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6060. AlMgSi is the EN chemical designation. A96060 is the UNS number. Additionally, the AFNOR (French) designation is A-GS.
It originally received its standard designation in 1972.
The properties of 6060 aluminum include six 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 6060 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
68 GPa 9.9 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
9.0 to 16 %
Fatigue Strength
37 to 70 MPa 5.4 to 10 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
86 to 130 MPa 13 to 19 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
140 to 220 MPa 20 to 32 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
71 to 170 MPa 10 to 24 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
160 °C 320 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
660 °C 1210 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
610 °C 1130 °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
23 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
Calomel Potential
-710 mV
Density
2.7 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.3 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1190 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
13 to 24 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
37 to 210 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
14 to 23 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
22 to 30 points
Thermal Diffusivity
85 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
6.3 to 9.9 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6060 aluminum is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si). Magnesium promotes hardenability through both heat treatment and strain hardening mechanisms. It also increases susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. Silicon is used to increase strength at the expense of ductility. It also lowers the melting temperature and raises the fluidity of the alloy.
| Al | 97.9 to 99.3 | |
| Mg | 0.35 to 0.6 | |
| Si | 0.3 to 0.6 | |
| Fe | 0.1 to 0.3 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.050 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B221: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes
Environmental Degradation of Advanced and Traditional Engineering Materials, Lloyd H. Hihara et al., 2014.
EN 754-2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Cold drawn rod/bar and tube. Mechanical properties
Aluminum: Properties and Physical Metallurgy, John E. Hatch (editor), 1984
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