You must acknowledge the importance of Aluminum melting point when it comes to industrial applications. Getting insights on aluminum melting points is the key for engineers and metallurgists.
Insufficient/Incorrect information on Aluminum metal melting points can lead you to experience structural weaknesses, errors, and poor product performance. Indirectly, this contributes to higher-end costs.
It is the key for the fabricator to grasp good knowledge of key parameters of metal transition from solid to semi-solid/liquid. Whether it’s to increase or decrease the temperature of the substance, your focus is paradigm.
You don’t need to worry as this detailed guide will highlight crucial information on Aluminum melting point. Get familiar with factors affecting melting aluminum point, the melting point of common metals, and practical applications.
Aluminum Alloy Melting Temperature – Overview
You can define Aluminum as a metal or alloy having a silvery white appearance. Its position in the periodic table is at number 13 and has the short form AL.
After silicone and oxygen, aluminum is the third most abundant element on planet Earth. Incredible properties like malleability, electric conductivity, and ductility contribute to its wide adaptability.
The molten point of any metal refers to a point/temperature at which it converts solid form to liquid form. Aluminum melting temperature is 660.32°C or 1220.58°F.
Factors Affecting Aluminum Metal Or Alloy Melting Point
There are a wide range of different factors exist which greatly influence the melting point of the aluminum. Some of the factors that you need to consider are:
Ingot Purity Level
Aluminum’s metal purity greatly affects its melting temperature. Suppose the percentage of other metals is great within the aluminum metal. Then, the melting point you will experience is different than what a pure aluminum has.
Usually, different metals like copper, iron, or silver are added to the aluminum to induce specific end properties. This way, you can achieve special custom products featuring unique characteristics. For instance, the induction of iron in aluminum increases the tensile and compressive strength.
Suppose there are impurities within the aluminum metal, including the silicone or iron, etc. This contributes to lowering the overall melting point.
To maintain the melting temperature, you first need to remove these impurities from the aluminum.
Elements Percent
You can alter the composition of the metal by the addition of different elements. For example, an option exists to add silicon, magnesium, or copper to the aluminum. The introduction of these elements to pure aluminum drastically changes the aluminum melting point.
Consider this as an example. As aluminum has lower density and lower strength, to cope with this, you can add copper or stainless steel. This will assist in increasing the hardness and strength of the end product. Please note that a higher content of copper in aluminum decreases the melting point.
Heat Treatment (Different Manufacturing Processes)
The heat treatment process greatly influences the microstructure. For instance, quenching, precipitation hardening and annealing play a key role in this regard.
Quenching
Quenching involves the heat and cooling process of the aluminum metal. You first melt the aluminum slightly above the recrystallization point and below the melting point. You need to hold the metal at this temperature for some time.
Later, you need to put it into the quenching medium to achieve room temperature for the metal. Such a level of thermal conductivity through the ingot allows you to achieve high strength.
Annealing
Annealing involves heating metal above the recrystallization point for a specific time. After that, you need to cool it slowly to reduce melting temperature.
This process reduces stresses within the alloys and ensures a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminum melting point has a great influence over annealing.
This is because annealing occurs slightly below the melting point to eliminate extra material softness. You can achieve higher mechanical properties and high thermal conductivity properties through this process.
Precipitation Hardening
On the other hand, precipitation hardening is employed to increase the end strength of the metal. It involves burning and quick cooling for precipitate yielding.
The lower melting and exact melting is crucial to the melting process of aluminum. Changes in temperature play a great role in this regard.
In precipitation hardening, the melting point is the key, as in this process, you need to heat the metal below the melting point of 660 degrees. The main role of the heat treatment process is to improve mechanical and physical properties so that it can withstand impacts.
Size of Grain
Gran size within the aluminum metal possesses an impact on altering the melting point.
Usually, smaller grain increases the overall surface area and reduces the melting point. On the other hand, bigger grain size increases the melting point.
Stress and Strain
The role of strain and stress play a crucial role in transforming the melting point of aluminum. Stress can result in defects or dislocations within the crystal lattice. This contributes to the altering of the melting point.
Sampling Size
Although the sample size does not have any effect on the melting point of the aluminum. But it impacts the behavior of the aluminum melting.
A large sample size takes time, while a smaller sample size needs to take more time to melt.
Common Metals Melting Point Temperature Range of Aluminum
In this section, you will get insights into the melting points of different metals of aluminumDifferent metal materials of aluminum possess different melting points.
2024 Aluminum Alloy Composition
The melting temperature range of 2024 aluminum alloy is around 5000C up to 6350C or (9350F up to 11800F).
You cannot question the strength of this alloy.
| Sr. No. | 2024 Aluminum Metal Elements (%) | |
| 1 | Manganese | 0.3 – 0.9 |
| 2 | Copper | 3.8 – 4.9 |
| 3 | Iron | 0.5 |
| 4 | Silicone | 0.5 |
| 5 | Zinc | 0.25 |
| 6 | Magnesium | 1.2 to 1.8 |
| 7 | Titanium | 0.15 |
| 8 | Chromium | 0.1 |
| 9 | Others | 0.05 |
| 10 | Remaining Percent | Aluminium |
The products and services for which you can use this alloy include structural applications such as aircraft cylinders, gear, shafts, and even wings.
3003 Aluminum Metal
This alloy has a high melting point of around 6400C up to 6550C or (11840F up to 12110F).
What adds up to the adaptability of this metal is excellent formability and medium strength (somewhat like aluminum).
Get familiar with the formation of the 3003 alloys in the table below:
| Sr. No. | 3003 Aluminum Metal Elements (%) | |
| 1 | Manganese | 1.00 – 1.50 |
| 2 | Copper | 0.05 – 0.20 |
| 3 | Iron | 0.70 (Max.) |
| 4 | Silicone | 0.60 (Max.) |
| 5 | Zinc | 0.10 (Max.) |
| 6 | Magnesium | – |
| 7 | Titanium | 0.05 (Max.) |
| 8 | Chromium | 0.05 (Max.) |
| 9 | Others | 0.05 (Max.) each |
| 10 | Remaining Percent | Aluminium |
You can use this alloy for different uses, like heat exchangers, storage tanks, and kitchen utensils.
5052 Aluminum Metal
The melting point of this alloy is 6050C up to 6500C or (11210F up to 12020F). The notable characteristic of 5052 alloys is corrosion resistance. Check out the elements percentage of the 5052 alloys in the table below:
| Sr. No. | 5052 Aluminum Metal Elements (%) | |
| 1 | Manganese | 0.10 |
| 2 | Copper | 0.10 |
| 3 | Iron | 0.40 (Max.) |
| 4 | Silicone | 0.25 (Max.) |
| 5 | Zinc | 0.10 |
| 6 | Magnesium | – |
| 7 | Chromium | 0.15 – 0.35 (Max.) |
| 8 | Others | 0.05 (Max.) each |
| 9 | Remaining Percent | Aluminium |
You can use this alloy type in metal fabrication, electric component casings, and automotive parts.
6061 Aluminum Metal
The melting point of the 5052 metal vs 6061 alloys of the aluminum series is higher. It is around 5800C up to 6500C or (10760F up to 12020F).
With this alloy type, you can harness the perks of maximum strength, corrosion resistance, and formability.
| Sr. No. | 6061 Aluminum Metal Elements (%) | |
| 1 | Al | 96.85 |
| 2 | Mg | 0.9 |
| 3 | Si | 0.7 |
| 4 | Fe | 0.6 |
| 5 | Cu | 0.30 |
| 6 | Cr | 0.25 |
| 7 | Zn | 0.20 |
| 8 | Ti | 0.10 |
| 9 | Mn | 0.05 |
| 10 | Others | 0.05 |
You can utilize this alloy in mobile components, structural parts, the aerospace industry, and bicycle frames.
7075 Aluminum Metal
The melting point of the 7075 range of aluminum lies around 4750C up to 6350C or (8870F up to 11750F). The key desirables of this alloy are higher fatigue resistance and strength.
| Sr. No. | 7075 Aluminum Metal Elements (%) | |
| 1 | Al | remainder |
| 2 | Mg | 2.5 |
| 3 | Si | 0.40 |
| 4 | Fe | 0.3 |
| 5 | Cu | 1.5 |
| 6 | Cr | 0.18 to 0.28 |
| 7 | Zn | 5.6 |
| 8 | Ti | 0.20 |
| 9 | Mn | 0.04 |
| 10 | Others | 0.05 |
You can use this alloy type in missiles, aircraft, defense systems, and sporting components manufacturing.
How Melting Point of Aluminum Facilitates in Practical Applications?
As discussed above, the alloy composition affects the behavior of aluminum. Now you will get information on how aluminum metal’s melting point affects treatment methods and applications:
Heat Treatment
The main role of the heat treatment process is to improve or enhance the physical and chemical properties. The main types of heat treatment include quenching, annealing, precipitation hardening, etc.
For this purpose, you can heat scrap aluminum in a foundry to begin melting to maintain the strength of aluminum. This assists in achieving the optimum ductility of aluminum and low melting point.
You can determine parameters for heat treatment by utilizing the melting point for each type of treatment specifically. This will help you achieve the desired properties and microstructure.
Some of the applications of the aluminum which passes through the heat treatment are:
- Heat-treated aluminum components work best in aircraft structures.
- You can use these complex parts in the automotive industry.
- An option exists to make the industrial equipment using heat-treated aluminum.
Casting (High-Temperature Furnace / Foundry Ingot Heating)
The casting refers to a process in which you use molten aluminum (You can use a furnace to achieve optimal extreme heat) and give it a specific shape by using a mold.
With this process, you can create any shape or structure using molten metal. The industries which employ this process include aerospace, construction, and automotive.
Melting point in die casting assists in achieving durable and reliable components or products.
You can utilize cast aluminum in metal parts of:
- Kitchen utensils
- Automotive components like piston, exhaust, etc.
- Torch casing, pan, etc.
Extrusion
A manufacturing process in which you use a die of specific cross-section to create desired cross-sectional profiles. In this process, you push the material through the die.
To achieve optimum extrusion, you need to heat the aluminum around 500°C up to 530°C. It depends on the evenness of the cross-section. If the cross-section is uniform, then keep the temperature at 500°C otherwise, 530°C.
These processes help you shape the sections and profiles of aluminum into sheet, pipe or rod metal. Using this technique, you can create complex structures and geometries.
After passing through the extrusion, the aluminum serves in the following ways:
- Creation of walls, windows, structural parts, and doors.
- Manufacturing of ladders, vehicle accessories, and railings
- You can build heatsinks, and casings for electronic components.
Welding
The term welding refers to the joining of two components or parts together by burning at high temperatures.
There are different techniques for welding, including Metal Inert Gas (MIG), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), etc. Using these methods, you can fuse aluminum or with other components.
Welded aluminum applications are as follows:
- In the marine sector, you can use welded aluminum parts in the building of ships and boats.
- You can make trucks or transport vehicle bodies using welding technique manufacturing processes.
- Such aluminum is also widely employed in aircraft parts and components.
Conclusion
The importance of the melting point of aluminum is a paradigm.
A lot of product and component manufacturing depends on it for error-free results. High-temperature heating above the melting point results in the liquid phase of the aluminum metal. Improper cooling in this regard adds up to the brittle nature of the metal. This article clearly throws light on the key concept of the aluminum melting point.
Regardless of the industry to which you belong, considering this information will assist you in strengthening your brand presence. This way, you can offer qualitative products that last.
Feel free to share your thoughts or ask any question you have in mind right in the comment section below.
