In industrial fabrication and construction, aluminum alloys provide an attractive combination of properties including strength, formability, corrosion resistance and lighter weight compared to steel. Two popular choices for demanding structural and fabrication applications are 6061 and 6060 aluminum. Both contain alloying elements that enhance their mechanical characteristics for handling everyday use and stresses. Read this article, we’ll find out the differences between aluminum 6060 and 6061.
What’s 6060 Aluminum?
6060 aluminum is an aluminum alloy that is similar in composition to 6063 but with magnesium as the primary alloying element rather than silicon. 6060 contains 0.8-1.3% magnesium providing higher strength than pure aluminum. It also contains about 0.3% chromium which enhances corrosion resistance making 6060 suitable for architectural applications. The magnesium impart strength through solid solution strengthening while allowing the alloy to be welded and worked similarly to non-heat treatable alloys like 1050 or 3003 series alloys. 6060 aluminum has good formability, weldability and corrosion resistance properties making it commonly used in applications like transportation, marine, construction and signage where presentation, strength and durability are important.
The Properties Of Aluminum 6060
6060 aluminum alloy has a strength that is slightly higher than non-heat treatable alloys like 3003 or 5052 due to its magnesium content, while maintaining good formability, weldability and corrosion resistance. It has a density of approximately 2.7 g/cm3, providing strength and rigidity with a lightweight property. The alloy possesses a tensile strength around 25,000 psi, sufficient for various structural applications. It also has good machinability allowing it to be easily cut, drilled or shaped during fabrication. Furthermore, 6060 aluminum displays excellent corrosion resistance due to its corrosion-inhibiting chromium content, making it suitable for use in marine environments. Its combination of strength, workability, durability and formability have made 6060 aluminum a popular choice for uses in transportation, construction and architecture.
The Applications Of Aluminum 6060
-Architectural applications: Used in building facades, window and door frames, signs, where good corrosion resistance and formability are important.
-Transportation: Commonly used in trucks, trailers, buses, RVs for its strength, light weight and resistance to salt corrosion.
-Marine structures: Boats, ships, jetties utilize 6060 for its corrosion properties in wet and coastal environments.
-Industrial equipment: Fabrication machinery, agricultural implements benefit from 6060’s workability and durability.
-Consumer goods: Recreational vehicles, furniture, appliances, sporting goods employ the alloy.
-Construction: Roofing, siding, scaffolding, plumbing use 6060 due to strength and weather resistance.
-Food processing: Vats, tanks, pipes where cleanability and chemical stability are vital.
-Welding filler metals: 6060 alloy is used as a weld wire or rod for joining similar aluminum alloys.
-Electronics: Housings, casings for its conductivity and lack of impurities affecting circuits.
What’s 6061 Aluminum?
6061 aluminum is a heat-treatable aluminum alloy that is very commonly used for structural components and general fabrication. It contains about 1% magnesium and 0.6% silicon as its major alloying elements which provide increased strength compared to non-heat treated alloys. In the T6 temper condition, which involves solution heat treatment and artificial aging, 6061 aluminum can reach tensile strengths over 42,000 psi making it stronger than 6000 series alloys like 6063. Yet it maintains good machining and fabrication characteristics. Thus, 6061 aluminum offers an excellent balance of strength, corrosion resistance, machinability and weldability. These properties have led to widespread use of 6061-T6 in aircraft, automotive, marine and other structural applications where moderate to high strength is required.
The Properties Of Aluminum 6061
6061 aluminum alloy has good mechanical properties due to its heat-treatable nature. In the T6 temper condition, which is most commonly used, 6061 aluminum has a tensile strength of around 42,000 psi, higher than non-heat treated alloys. It also displays good corrosion resistance, hardness, and machinability. While stronger than 6000 series alloys in the T6 temper, 6061 aluminum maintains workability and can be readily formed, machined, or welded with appropriate procedures. It has excellent fatigue endurance limits and stress corrosion cracking resistance, along with good formability suitable for bending, spinning, and extrusion. Furthermore, 6061 aluminum has a density of around 2.7 g/cm3, providing strength and rigidity along with lighter weight. These superior properties including high strength, corrosion resistance, and fabrication versatility have made 6061 aluminum alloy widely adopted in applications spanning the aerospace, marine, construction and transportation industries.
The Applications Of Aluminum 6061
-Aerospace structures: Aircraft components such as fuselage panels, wings, bulkheads where high strength to weight ratio is important.
-Automotive: Drive shafts, suspension components, wheels, engine parts that require durability.
-Marine: Boat hulls, decks, masts for ships where corrosion resistance is needed.
-Infrastructure: Bridges, railings, roofing, towers use 6061’s structural performance.
-Industrial equipment: Machinery frames, fabrication tools utilize its balanced properties.
-Consumer goods: Bicycles, athletic equipment, furniture benefit from 6061’s profile.
-Piping systems: Fluid transfer lines, tubing for its workability and pressure resistance.
-Construction: Structural framing, siding, fixtures take advantage of formability.
-Electronic components: Circuit boards, racks, housings where strength and conductivity are needed.
-General fabrication: Prototypes, customized parts, when moderate to high strength alloy is required.
The Differences Between 6061 and 6060 Aluminum
Chemical Composition
6061 aluminum contains a higher amount of magnesium (0.8-1.2%) and silicon (0.4-0.8%) as alloying elements compared to 6060. 6060 contains 0.8-1.3% magnesium and 0.3% chromium, making it more corrosion resistant but slightly weaker than 6061.
Mechanical Properties
6061 has higher tensile strength than 6060 when heat treated, especially in the T6 temper. 6061-T6 can reach tensile strengths over 42,000 psi while 6060 provides around 25,000 psi. However, 6060 maintains better formability than heat-treated 6061.
Manufacturing Properties
6061 is heat-treatable so it can achieve high strength levels but is more difficult to machine when hardened. 6060 does not require artificial aging so it has better machinability and welding characteristics than 6061-T6. Both alloys have good corrosion resistance.
Applications
Due to its high strength potential, 6061 is commonly used for aerospace, automobile and general structural parts. 6060 is better suited for architectural applications, marine equipment, transportation and industrial fabrication where formability is important in addition to strength and corrosion resistance.
Pricing
6061-T6 is generally more expensive than 6060 due to additional heat treating required. 6061 in the -O temper is competitively priced with 6060.