6181 Aluminum alloy,Aluminum 6181 alloy,E FORU

### **Aluminum 6181 Alloy: Product Introduction** **Overview** Aluminum 6181 is a heat-treatable aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy specifically designed for **automotive body sheet applications**. This alloy offers an excellent combination of **high strength after paint baking**, **good formability**, and **superior surface quality**, making it particularly suitable for automotive outer body panels where both structural performance and aesthetic appearance are critical requirements. --- #### **1. Chemical Composition (Weight %)** | Element | Minimum (%) | Maximum (%) | |---------|-------------|-------------| | Silicon (Si) | 0.7 | 1.1 | | Iron (Fe) | - | 0.45 | | Copper (Cu) | 0.10 | 0.20 | | Manganese (Mn) | 0.05 | 0.20 | | Magnesium (Mg) | 0.5 | 1.0 | | Chromium (Cr) | - | 0.10 | | Zinc (Zn) | - | 0.20 | | Titanium (Ti) | - | 0.10 | | Other (Each) | - | 0.05 | | Other (Total) | - | 0.15 | | **Aluminum (Al)** | **Balance** | | --- #### **2. Physical Properties** | Property | Metric Value | Imperial Value | |----------|--------------|----------------| | **Density** | 2.70 g/cm³ | 0.0975 lb/in³ | | **Melting Range** | 570-640 °C | 1058-1184 °F | | **Electrical Conductivity** | 45-49% IACS | 45-49% IACS | | **Thermal Conductivity** | 170-185 W/m·K | 985-1070 BTU·in/(hr·ft²·°F) | | **Coefficient of Thermal Expansion** | 23.6 × 10⁻⁶/°C | 13.1 × 10⁻⁶/°F | | **Modulus of Elasticity** | 69.0 GPa | 10,007 ksi | --- #### **3. Mechanical Properties** **Typical Mechanical Properties by Temper:** | Property | T4 Temper | T4P Temper | After Paint Bake | |----------|-----------|------------|------------------| | **Tensile Strength** | 230-270 MPa | 200-240 MPa | 290-330 MPa | | **Yield Strength (0.2% Offset)** | 120-150 MPa | 100-130 MPa | 240-280 MPa | | **Elongation (in 50mm)** | 22-26% | 24-28% | 12-16% | | **Hardness (Brinell)** | 70-80 HB | 60-70 HB | 90-100 HB | | **n-value (Strain Hardening Exponent)** | 0.21-0.25 | 0.23-0.27 | - | | **r-value (Plastic Strain Ratio)** | 0.60-0.70 | 0.65-0.75 | - | --- #### **4. International Standards** * **European Standards (EN):** * EN 573-3: Chemical composition (Designation: EN AW-6181) * EN 485-2: Mechanical properties for sheet and plate * EN 1396: Aluminum and aluminum alloys - Strip for general applications * **ASTM Standards:** * ASTM B209: Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate * **ISO Standards:** * ISO 6361-2: Wrought aluminum and aluminum alloy sheets, strips and plates * ISO 7771: Aluminum and aluminum alloys - Sheet, strip and plate * **Automotive Standards:** * Various automotive OEM specifications * VDA 239-100: Material standard for automotive sheet steel --- #### **5. Product Applications** **Automotive Body Panels:** - Outer body panels (doors, hoods, fenders) - Roof panels - Deck lids and liftgates - Body side outer panels **Automotive Structural Components:** - Body-in-white components - Structural reinforcements - Crash management components - Chassis elements **Transportation Industry:** - Commercial vehicle body panels - Bus exterior components - Railway vehicle body panels - Special vehicle components **Special Applications:** - Class-A surface components - High-quality painted parts - Architectural panels - Premium consumer products --- #### **6. Key Characteristics & Advantages** * **Excellent Bake Hardening Response:** Significant strength increase after paint baking cycle (typically 60-100 MPa) * **Good Formability:** High elongation for complex stamping operations * **Superior Surface Quality:** Excellent for Class-A automotive surfaces * **Good Hemming Performance:** Suitable for edge hemming operations * **High Strength-to-Weight Ratio:** Weight reduction potential for automotive applications * **Good Corrosion Resistance:** Suitable for automotive environmental conditions * **Weldability:** Compatible with automotive welding processes --- #### **7. Heat Treatment Characteristics** **Solution Heat Treatment:** - Temperature: 540-550°C (1004-1022°F) - Time: Rapid heating and short holding times - Quenching: Rapid cooling required **Paint Bake Cycle Response:** - Typical bake cycle: 170-185°C (338-365°F) for 20-30 minutes - Strength increase: 70-110 MPa yield strength improvement - Final properties achieved after painting process --- #### **8. Processing and Fabrication** **Stamping Characteristics:** - Good deep drawing capability - Adequate stretch formability - Controlled springback characteristics - Suitable for complex geometries **Surface Treatment Compatibility:** - Good phosphating response - Adequate electrocoating performance - Good paint adhesion - Suitable for various coating systems **Joining Methods:** - Resistance spot welding compatible - MIG and TIG welding applicable - Adhesive bonding suitable - Mechanical fastening possible **Hemming Performance:** - Good for standard hemming operations - Adequate for flat hems - Acceptable edge cracking resistance - Consistent performance --- #### **9. Quality Assurance** **Testing Requirements:** - Mechanical property testing - Formability testing (n-value, r-value) - Surface quality inspection - Bake hardening response verification - Corrosion testing **Automotive Standards:** - Meets automotive OEM specifications - Surface quality standards compliance - Dimensional stability requirements - Batch-to-batch consistency --- **Technical Note:** Aluminum 6181 is specifically engineered for automotive body sheet applications, offering a balanced combination of formability in the T4 temper and good strength after the paint bake cycle. The alloy's chemical composition is optimized to provide adequate age-hardening response during the paint curing process while maintaining good surface quality for automotive panels. This makes 6181 suitable for automotive applications where formability requirements must be balanced with in-service strength needs. The alloy represents a cost-effective solution for automotive body panel applications where premium performance characteristics of more advanced alloys are not required, while still providing the essential combination of properties needed for successful automotive manufacturing.

Packing of Standard Packing: Typical bulk packaging includes palletized plastic 5 gallon/25 kg. pails, fiber and steel drums to 1 ton super sacks in full container (FCL) or truck load (T/L) quantities. Research and sample quantities and hygroscopic, oxidizing or other air sensitive materials may be packaged under argon or vacuum. Solutions are packaged in polypropylene, plastic or glass jars up to palletized 2053 gallon liquid totes Special package is available on request.