6065 (AlMg1Bi1Si, A96065) Aluminum
6065 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. 6065 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6065. AlMg1Bi1Si is the EN chemical designation. And A96065 is the UNS number.
It received its standard designation in 2005, making it a fairly young material.
The properties of 6065 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 6065 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
4.5 to 11 %
Fatigue Strength
96 to 110 MPa 14 to 16 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
190 to 230 MPa 27 to 34 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
310 to 400 MPa 45 to 58 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
270 to 380 MPa 39 to 55 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
180 °C 350 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
590 °C 1090 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
890 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
170 W/m-K 97 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
43 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
140 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
11 % relative
Density
2.8 g/cm3 170 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.4 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 66 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1200 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
17 to 34 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
540 to 1040 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
49 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
31 to 40 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
36 to 43 points
Thermal Diffusivity
67 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
14 to 18 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6065 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 | 94.4 to 98.2 | |
| Bi | 0.5 to 1.5 | |
| Mg | 0.8 to 1.2 | |
| Si | 0.4 to 0.8 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.7 | |
| Cu | 0.15 to 0.4 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.25 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Zr | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Pb | 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
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
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
EN 573-3: Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Chemical composition and form of wrought products. Chemical composition and form of products