5052 Aluminum - The Properties and Uses You Need to Know

[Naveed Iqbal]

5052 aluminum is one of the most popular and versatile aluminum alloys available. It's strong, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. In this blog post, we'll take a look at the properties and uses of 5052 aluminum, so you can get an understanding of how this alloy could be useful in your projects.

General Information

5052 aluminum is part of the 5xxx series of aluminum alloys, which contain between 2.0-2.5% magnesium and 0.25% chromium by weight. It is a non-heat treatable alloy, which has excellent corrosion resistance, formability, and weldability properties. 5052 aluminum is one of the most commonly used aluminum alloys and is commonly referred to as HWALU, an acronym for its chemical composition of Hydroxyl-magnesium, Weldability, Aluminum, Lead, and Usability.

Temper Types

HWALU 5052 aluminum is available in a wide variety of tempers. The most common tempers for 5052 aluminum are: H32, H34, H36, H38, H111, H112, H114, H116, and H321. Each temper has its own properties and is used for different applications.

H32 - This temper is the softest of all the tempers. It is not recommended for any type of fabrication or forming, but is best suited for applications where strength is not a requirement.

H34 - This temper is slightly harder than H32 and is good for bending, forming, and light drawing operations.

H36 - This temper is stronger than H34 and is suitable for applications where high strength is needed.

H38 - This temper is the hardest of all the 5052 tempers. It is best suited for applications requiring the highest level of strength and rigidity.

H111 - This temper offers good formability and weldability, making it ideal for general-purpose use.

H112 - This temper is best suited for cold-forming operations, as it offers excellent ductility and formability.

H114 - This temper provides higher strength than H112 but also offers good formability and weldability.

H116 - This temper provides the highest level of strength but still offers good formability and weldability.

H321 - This temper is the softest of all the 5052 tempers and is not recommended for any type of fabrication or forming. However, it does offer excellent corrosion resistance and is often used in marine applications.

Forming

When it comes to forming 5052 aluminum, HWALU (hot-working and cold-working aluminum) is the way to go. Hot-working aluminum is when the metal is heated and then shaped into desired objects using dies and hammers. Cold-working aluminum is when the metal is worked at room temperature. This type of working allows for more complex shapes than hot-working.

When it comes to hot-working 5052 aluminum, the most common method is press forming. Press forming involves placing the metal in a press that contains a die and then pressing down on it with enough force to shape it into the desired object. Other methods of hot-working 5052 aluminum include spinning, deep drawing, and sheet metal forming.

Cold-working 5052 aluminum can involve a variety of techniques such as rolling, stretching, bending, and extrusion. Rolling is when the metal is passed through rollers to reduce its thickness and increase its length. Stretching is when the metal is pulled apart along its axis to make it longer. Bending is when the metal is bent in one direction to change its shape. Finally, extrusion is when the metal is forced through a die to form it into a desired shape.