Which one is very cheapest sheet metal for all purpose?

Aluminum is no doubt one of the most popular metals, shaping the capabilities of our modern world. Aluminum alloys make a wide range of in-demand products possible. HVAC, smart phones, automotive parts, and marine gear all require them. Scientists, architects, and designers prefer aluminum for many reasons including high strength-to-weight ratio, flexibility, and energy savings.

What Makes Aluminum So Popular?

After 1886—when the method for commercially producing aluminum was first introduced—aluminum has grown tremendously in popularity. This is in large part due to the needs of our modern lives and the versatility aluminum offers. Let’s use the automotive industry as a primary example.

The automotive industry is huge and revolves around the production of 95 million cars and trucks each year. At the same time, the desire for more efficient ground transportation is higher than ever. The need for lower vehicle weight, reduced emissions, and improved fuel economy has sparked intense interest in aluminum.  Aluminum offers a one-two punch; it is lightweight without sacrificing strength. In fact, some aluminum alloys are as strong as structural steel.

Download Our Aluminum Spec Sheet Now

Kloeckner Metals is a full-line aluminum supplier and service center. Download our aluminum spec sheet to see what Kloeckner Metals routinely stocks.

Aluminum’s versatility goes beyond its weight and strength. It’s easily workable into any form and can take on an impressive variety of surface finishes. Under most service conditions, aluminum shows high resistance to corrosion. Excellent machinability is one of the key factors influencing the low cost of finished aluminum parts. Almost any method of joining—riveting, welding, or brazing—applies to aluminum. Aluminum sheet can be drawn, spun and roll formed.

Aluminum is also one of the most recyclable materials. For example, in as little as 60 days, the aluminum beverage can you just finished drinking out of could be recycled and reshelved. That’s amazing!

However, much of aluminum’s versatility is owed to specific alloying elements. Pure aluminum is soft and demonstrates only moderate strength. Therefore, most applications for aluminum require aluminum alloys.

How to Classify Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum alloys are often broken down into three categories: wrought heat treatable, wrought non-heat treatable, and casting alloys.

Wrought Non-Heat Treatable Aluminum Alloys

This group includes high purity aluminum and the wrought alloys in the 1xxx, 3xxx, and 5xxx series. Wrought non-heat treatable aluminum alloys are hardened primarily by cold working.

Wrought Heat Treatable Aluminum Alloys

Heat treatable alloys have copper, magnesium, or zinc as their primary alloying element. These are the 2xxx, 6xxx and 7xxx series alloys. Wrought heat treatable aluminum alloys can be precipitation hardened. This process develops high strength levels.

Aluminum Alloys for Casting

This group includes both non-heat-treatable and heat treatable alloys. The most common aluminum alloys for casting are the 2xxx, 3xxx, 4xxx, 7xxx, and 8xxx. Strength properties obtained through casting are not as high for wrought heat treatable alloys.

List of Aluminum Alloys

The Aluminum Association describes how there are more than 530 registered active compositions of aluminum alloys and that number continues to grow. They’re also available in various formats including sheet, plate, tube, and bar. That’s a lot of aluminum alloys!

Given widespread applications across industries, selecting the right aluminum alloy type for a specific end-use is crucial. Just slight differences in chemical properties can drastically alter strength, workability, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity of the alloy.

With a purity of 99.0% or greater, 1100 is often called commercially pure aluminum. It is the softest of the common alloys.

• 1100 aluminum is non-heat treatable, extremely malleable and shows excellent corrosive resistance. Though 1100 aluminum has great weldability, it also has a rather narrow melting range to consider.
• Good machinability when hard tempered.
• 1100 aluminum is frequently used for electrical work, food and chemical handling, dials and name plates, spun hollow ware, lighting, HVAC, heat insulators and license plates.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 1100 aluminum sheet.

3003 aluminum is the best known and most widely used of the common alloys. 3003 aluminum is non-heat treatable. With about 20% more strength than 1100, 3003 is a practical general-purpose aluminum for moderate strength applications.

• Alloyed with manganese, 3003 aluminum demonstrates good formability, workability and drawing characteristics.
• It’s inexpensive, can be welded and brazed by all methods, excellent corrosion resistance, and has a uniform appearance.
• You’ll find 3003 aluminum in everyday products like cooking utensils, food containers, hardware, and cabinets. Other common applications include: chemical equipment, pressure vessels, piping, awning slats, trailer and truck panels, and general sheet metal fabrication.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 3003 aluminum sheet.

3004 aluminum is very similar to 3003 aluminum in its composition and end-uses. However, 3004 shows more strength due to a 1% addition of magnesium.

• As with all 3xxx aluminum alloy series, 3004 aluminum is non-heat treatable.
• Just a slight addition of magnesium gives 3004 strength approaching that of 5052 aluminum.
• Storage tanks, pressure valves, and cookware are all appropriate end-uses.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 3004 aluminum sheet.

Though 3105 is non-heat treatable, it can be annealed during cold working.

• 3105 aluminum has slightly higher strength than 3003 aluminum, others properties are similar to 3003 aluminum alloy.
• 3105 aluminum’s corrosion resistance, formability and welding characteristics are excellent.
• Less critical building applications, such as roofing, siding, flashing and duct-work are more common for 3105.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 3105 aluminum sheet.

5052 is the strongest non-heat treatable sheet and plate in common use. Versatility and strong value make it one of the most serviceable alloys.

• Alloyed with magnesium, 5052 aluminum can be anodized. It shows good welding characteristics, and demonstrates moderate-to-good strength. It has good drawing properties and a high rate of work hardening.
• 5052 aluminum is resistant to saltwater corrosion, making it appropriate for many marine applications.
• Applications range from fuel tanks to marine applications, fans, fan blades, fencing, small boats, truck trailers, architectural panels, and some non-critical automotive parts.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 5052 aluminum sheet and 5052 aluminum plate.

6061 is one of the strongest aluminum alloys. It is considered the least expensive and most versatile of the heat treatable alloys. Though less formable, it is commonly extruded.

• Alloyed with magnesium and silicon, 6061 aluminum is heat treatable, can be anodized, and hardened after forming. After heat treatment, its strength is equal to low carbon steel.
• Outstanding surface quality, better corrosion resistance than steel, and a high strength to weight ratio.
• You’ll see 6061 applied in architecture and construction. Additional applications include: structural framing, moldings, fire ladders, welded assemblies, sail boats, electronic parts, bridge components, piping, valves, and fasteners.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 6061 aluminum plate, bar, and tube.

6063 aluminum is mainly an extrusion alloy used almost exclusively by the architectural applicators. It is heat treatable for strengthening.

• Like 6061 aluminum, 6063 is alloyed with magnesium for added strength, and silicon to reduce melting temperature. This makes it excellent for anodizing.
• With similar composition and mechanical properties to 6061, two of the main differentiators of 6063 aluminum is its superior surface finish and poor strength-to-weight ratio.
• Common applications include: electrical components and conduit, pipe and tube for irrigation systems, door frames, railings, furniture, appliances, boats, and motor vehicles.
• Kloeckner Metals supplies 6063 aluminum bar and tube.

Where are Aluminum Suppliers Near Me?

Kloeckner Metals supplies aluminum nationwide from 15 branches in the United States and Mexico. Please visit our branch directory and use our filter tool to see which branches supply the type and grade of aluminum you require for your business needs.

Contact Our Qualified Team Now

Kloeckner Metals is a full-line aluminum supplier and service center. Kloeckner Metals joins a national footprint with the latest fabrication and processing technologies and innovative customer service solutions.

Choosing the primary material for your project is a vital decision, and you should weigh the options carefully. But with so many choices, looking for the ideal material can become overwhelming.

If you are in the process of designing a metal product, steel and aluminum have likely crossed your mind as possible metals to use. This is of no surprise since they are the two most widely produced metals in the world.

This article compares some of the basic properties of steel and aluminum and mentions some typical applications for each.

Aluminum vs. Steel: Factors to Consider

While there are many different steel and aluminum alloys, each with its specific properties, there are some key differences between the two metals. This section compares some of the most important physical characteristics of steel and aluminum.

Weight

If you ask someone which metal is lighter, most people will correctly say aluminum. Steel’s high strength comes at the cost of a much higher density. In fact, for two pieces of equal volume, steel can be as much as three times the weight of aluminum.

Strength

Strength is often one of the first properties considered when selecting a material, especially in high-stress applications. Generally speaking, steel is stronger than aluminum. That said, once the lighter weight of aluminum is factored into the equation, aluminum comes out on top with a superior strength-to-weight ratio.

Identifying which metal has the better strength for your application will depend on your design’s flexibility. For example, a larger aluminum part may offer more strength at a lower weight than the steel alternative.

Malleability

Another downside of steel’s high strength is that it is harder to work it into different shapes than aluminum, especially if the shape is complex. This can be somewhat overcome by heating the steel to very high temperatures, but this adds cost and can compromise other properties. On the other hand, aluminum is relatively easy to form while either cold or hot and is ideally suited for manufacturing processes such as extrusion and rolling.

Thermal Conductivity

Aluminum is generally a much better thermal conductor than steel and is often used in applications where heat dissipation or distribution is required, such as in heat sinks.

Corrosion Resistance

Plain carbon steel has poor corrosion resistance. It rusts easily and will continue to corrode if exposed to the elements. Aluminum, on the other hand, forms a protective oxide layer on its surface that acts as an inert barrier against further oxidation. So long as the aluminum isn’t exposed to an environment that causes it to break down, it will continue to provide excellent corrosion resistance.

It’s worth noting that steel can be made highly resistant to corrosion if a minimum of 11% chromium is included in its alloying elements, making it “stainless steel.” Stainless steel, however, is more costly than plain carbon steel, and other physical properties of the steel may be affected.

Cost

The cost of the material will naturally be a significant factor in which you choose for your project. Since the price of both of these metals will fluctuate with the market and the specific alloy, it is hard to say that one will be cheaper than the other in every context. However, it is commonly accepted that, pound for pound, carbon steel is generally less expensive than a comparable aluminum alloy.

Physical Properties Comparison

The following table compares specific values for the physical properties of steel and aluminum. For this purpose, we’ve compared a medium carbon steel and general aluminum alloy.

Applications for Aluminum and Steel

When trying to choose between steel and aluminum for your specific project, knowing the common areas of application for each of them could be very helpful. The following table shows the most common uses of these metals in different industries.

Should You Choose Steel or Aluminum for Your Project?

Whether to choose steel or aluminum for your project will ultimately depend on your project’s characteristics, the forming process, and your budget. For example, if strength and durability are the most important attributes for your design, and the shape is not too complex, perhaps a steel alloy is the better option. On the other hand, if you need a good strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and the ability to form a unique shape, aluminum is probably the better choice.

If you want to know more about some of the most widely used aluminum alloys, take a look at some of our other articles below:

If you’d like to learn more about the most common aluminum fabrication processes, see the following:

➨ Which Aluminum Fabrication Process is Best for Your Project?