7116 (7116-T5, AlZn4.5Mg1Cu0.8) Aluminum
7116 aluminum is a 7000-series aluminum alloy: the main alloying addition is zinc and it is formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the T5 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is artificially aged until it meets standard mechanical property requirements. 7116 is the Aluminum Association (AA) designation for this material. In European standards, it will be given as EN AW-7116. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is AlZn4,5Mg1Cu0,8. And the UNS number is A97116.
It originally received its standard designation in 1975.
It has the highest electrical conductivity among the 7000-series alloys in the database.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare 7116 aluminum to: 7000-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
7.8 %
Fatigue Strength
160 MPa 23 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.8 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
220 MPa 32 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
370 MPa 54 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
330 MPa 48 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
380 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
170 °C 340 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
640 °C 1180 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
520 °C 970 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
880 J/kg-K 0.21 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
150 W/m-K 86 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
24 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
46 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
140 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % 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
1150 L/kg 140 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
28 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
790 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
13 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
47 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
35 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
39 points
Thermal Diffusivity
58 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
16 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought aluminum alloys, the composition of 7116 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 | 91.5 to 94.5 | |
| Zn | 4.2 to 5.2 | |
| Mg | 0.8 to 1.4 | |
| Cu | 0.5 to 1.1 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.3 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.15 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.050 | |
| V | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Ga | 0 to 0.030 | |
| 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
Handbook of Aluminum Bonding Technology and Data, J. D. Minford, 1993
Advanced Materials in Automotive Engineering, Jason Rowe (editor), 2012
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