6061 aluminum also referred to as structural aluminum and originally known as Alloy 61s, is one of the most popular aluminum alloys. Properties of pure metals including pure aluminum are fixed; it means their strength, melting points, malleability, durability, and many other properties don’t change. BUT, alloys like 6061 aluminum, are made by mixing the pure metal with 2 or 2+ elements. Alloys are produced to improve specific properties some alloys are built to be stronger while some alloys are built to be more durable and flexible. Alloying aluminum with various elements makes it almost as strong as steel.

Aluminum alloys have two classes: casting alloys and wrought alloys. Casting alloys simply refers to alloys that easily be cast in sand or poured into molds to give them any type of shape. Wrought alloys, including 6061 aluminum alloy, are cast and then hand-worked by extruding, forging, or rolling them into various shapes. Some alloys can also be heat-treated with various methods to improve strength and hardness.

6061 Aluminum Properties - 6061 Aluminum is a very popular heat-treatable aluminum alloy that was developed in 1935. 6061 alloy is made up of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon. Other elements of this alloy are iron, chromium, zinc, manganese, copper, and titanium. This alloy is medium-to-high strength, lightweight, affordable metal for commercial use. Earlier, alloys were susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking, but 6061 alloy contains a small amount of Chromium that makes it resistant to corrosion.

The properties of 6061 aluminum are toughness, structural strength, better corrosion resistance, good surface finish, high weldability, and nice machinability. Most of the aluminum alloys are difficult to weld due to their chemical composition. 6061 alloy can be easily welded though it loses some strength. But what makes this alloy the best one is that it can restore that strength by re-heat-treatment and artificial aging process. You can choose Arch Metals as your 6061 Aluminum supplier Austin.

6061 Aluminum Uses - 6061 aluminum is mostly used as construction metal, most often in automotive components. In the automotive industry, 6061 alloy is commonly used in yachts, motorcycles, camera lenses, fishing reels, scuba tanks, electrical fittings, bicycle frames, valves, and couplings. Also, it is used in the construction of aluminum cans. Plus, the foil wrapper inside food containers is mostly made with this alloy. This aluminum alloy is also used in wide-span roof structures.

If you want to buy top-quality metals at competitive prices, it is recommended that you choose Arch Metals, the 6061 Aluminum supplier Austin which supplies top-quality 6061 Extruded Aluminum bar for various industries. They provide different types of bars like round, square, and flat. Just get in touch with them and get your profitable quote.