A356.0-T71 Cast Aluminum
A356.0-T71 aluminum is A356.0 aluminum in the T71 temper. To achieve this temper, the metal is solution heat-treated and stabilized by artificial overaging, but to a smaller degree than in T7 temper.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare A356.0-T71 aluminum to: ANSI/AA cast aluminums (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
70 GPa 10 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
3.0 %
Fatigue Strength
50 MPa 7.2 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.33
Shear Modulus
26 GPa 3.8 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
210 MPa 30 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
140 MPa 20 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
500 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
170 °C 340 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
610 °C 1130 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
570 °C 1060 °F
Solidification (Pattern Maker's) Shrinkage
1.3 %
Specific Heat Capacity
900 J/kg-K 0.22 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
150 W/m-K 87 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
21 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
40 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
140 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
9.5 % relative
Density
2.6 g/cm3 160 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
8.0 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
150 MJ/kg 64 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
1110 L/kg 130 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
5.5 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
140 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
15 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
53 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
22 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
30 points
Thermal Diffusivity
64 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
9.9 points
Alloy Composition
| Al | 91.1 to 93.3 | |
| Si | 6.5 to 7.5 | |
| Mg | 0.25 to 0.45 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Ti | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Cu | 0 to 0.2 | |
| Mn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Zn | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.15 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Further Reading
ASTM B686: Standard Specification for Aluminum Alloy Castings, High-Strength
ASTM B108: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Permanent Mold Castings
ASTM B26: Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Sand Castings
Handbook of Aluminum vol. 2: Alloy Production and Materials Manufacturing, George Totten and D. Scott MacKenzie (editors), 2003
Advanced Materials in Automotive Engineering, Jason Rowe (editor), 2012
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993