6261 (AlMg1SiCuMn, A96261) Aluminum
6261 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. 6261 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-6261. AlMg1SiCuMn is the EN chemical designation. And A96261 is the UNS number.
It originally received its standard designation in 1968.
The properties of 6261 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 6261 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 16 %
Fatigue Strength
60 to 120 MPa 8.7 to 17 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
90 to 180 MPa 13 to 26 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
150 to 300 MPa 21 to 44 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
100 to 260 MPa 15 to 38 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
400 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
160 °C 320 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1190 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
610 °C 1140 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
180 W/m-K 110 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
23 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
48 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
160 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
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
1180 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
21 to 27 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
77 to 500 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
50 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
15 to 31 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
23 to 37 points
Thermal Diffusivity
75 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
6.5 to 13 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 6261 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 | 96.6 to 98.6 | |
| Mg | 0.7 to 1.0 | |
| Si | 0.4 to 0.7 | |
| Mn | 0.2 to 0.35 | |
| Cu | 0.15 to 0.4 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.4 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Cr | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Ti | 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
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
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015