6061: Workability and Corrosion Resistance

As a highly adaptable aluminum alloy for marine grade applications, 6061

possesses superb mechanical properties, including excellent corrosion
resistance. With solid workability under the annealed condition, various
techniques may be employed in its fabrication. Available in plate, sheet, and
extruded shapes, 6061 aluminum is a solid choice for a multitude of
applications.

6063: Decorative and Structural Purposes

As an architectural alloy used prominently for structural and decorative

purposes, the 6063 aluminum alloy provides excellent finishing characteristics,
corrosion resistance, and tensile properties. It is utilized for various interior and
exterior architectural applications and trim.

5052: High Fatigue Strength Benefits

Marine grade aluminum alloy 5052 as a non-heat treatable grade offers a high
level of strength. Its fatigue strength is greater than the majority of other
aluminum grades. In addition, it offers good resistance to Marine atmosphere
and saltwater corrosion. Due to its excellent workability characteristics, it is
easily formed or drawn into complicated shapes.

What is Marine Grade Aluminum

Marine grade metals are specially treated to withstand use in water or wet
environments. Usually, this is done by adding special alloys to the metal to
make it corrosion-resistant. Most metals, such as aluminum, have marine
grades.

Structural steel is the traditional material used in the shipbuilding industry due to
its excellent mechanical properties and low manufacturing costs. However, the
increasing demand for larger, yet light ships made designers search for
alternative materials. Aluminum alloys were a great choice because they
provided high corrosion resistance, weighed less, and were considered
economical in the long run.

Types of Marine Grade Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum alloys are generally classified according to the primary alloying
element added to aluminum and the alloys' ability to respond to thermal and
mechanical treatment. Cast aluminum alloys are formed by pouring molten
liquid metal into molds of requisite shapes and cooled; solid metal is
mechanically deformed or forged or rolled to the required shape to form wrought
aluminum alloys.

Marine grade wrought aluminum alloys usually comprise aluminum-magnesium

(Al-Mg) alloys and aluminum-magnesium-silicon (Al-Mg-Si) alloys. They are
generally used in structural shipbuilding, boat lifts, docks, and other offshore
structural applications.
Cast aluminum alloys are used in numerous marine applications because
casting processes can create relatively complex shapes, including ships'
superstructures, structural components, interior fixtures and various supports.
They are usually aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) or Al-Mg alloys.

Characteristics of Marine Grade Aluminum Alloys

The marine industry uses aluminum alloys for shipbuilding and fabricating
components in offshore platforms because they are lightweight, corrosion-
resistant, and have superior mechanical properties.

The following are some examples of cast aluminum alloys, their characteristics
and uses:

Al-Si alloys (examples 413.0, 443.0):

highly fluid, castable and weldable

corrosion-resistant
moderately strong
great for leak- and fatigue-resistant castings
used in critical components in marine applications
Al-Mg alloys (examples 512.0, 514.0, 518.0, 535.0):

not heat treatable

tougher to cast
machinable
highly corrosion-resistant
suitable for components exposed to seawater
Some characteristics and uses of wrought aluminum alloys are as follows:

Al-Mg alloys (examples 5052, 5083, 5754):

non-heat treatable
strain hardenable
easily weldable
highly corrosion-resistant, even in salt water
tough, even at cryogenic temperatures
moderately strong
Al-Mg-Si alloys (examples 6061, 6063, 6111):

heat treatable
extrudable
highly corrosion-resistant
moderately strong
Watercraft made from aluminum alloys have high speeds, longer lives, lower
maintenance costs, greater payloads, and higher recycle values. Designers,
who are proactive about corrosion control and wish to avoid maintenance and
safety issues, prefer using marine grade aluminum.

A Guide to Understanding Marine Grade Aluminum

March 26, 2020 7:26 pm Leave a Comment
The corrosive nature of water and saltwater dictates the use of special materials
for shipbuilding, off-shore drilling platforms, and more. Due to its many
beneficial properties, marine-grade aluminum is eminently suitable for building
seafaring vessels and structures, as well as the machinery and components
used within them.

What is Marine-Grade Aluminum?

Even though pure aluminum has a high natural resistance to corrosion
compared to many other metals, the constant exposure to water and moisture in
marine applications warrants additional protection. When alloyed with other
metals like magnesium, aluminum develops an even higher level of corrosion
resistance that can tolerate constant contact with water and saltwater. These
specially treated aluminum alloys are known as marine-grade aluminum.

What are the Benefits of Using Aluminum in Marine Applications?

Marine-grade aluminum is specifically developed to make it ideal for use in
marine environments. As such, it possesses a number of properties required in
these applications. Some of these properties include:

Superior corrosion resistance

Lightweight with a high strength-to-weight ratio
Compatibility with a variety of fabrication processes
Wide availability in sheets, extrusions, and plates
Properties of Aluminum for Marine Applications
There are many grades of marine aluminum, each differing slightly in its
properties due to the alloy materials that are included.

Continental Steel supplies several grades of marine aluminum in a variety of

stock forms, including plate, sheet, coil, pipe, tube, bars, and extrusions We can
also provide them with varying degrees of temper. The grades we can provide
include:

5083. 5083 marine-grade aluminum is ideal for applications that need

superlative corrosion resistance in hostile environments. 5083 is the strongest
non-heat treatable aluminum alloy and maintains its strength even after welding.
5086. This alloy is highly conductive with superior corrosion resistance. 5086
can be strengthened through strain hardening and cold working until it is even
stronger than in 5083. Though compatible with multiple welding methods,
electric arc welding is preferred for this alloy.

5454. The beneficial properties of 5454 include high strength, superior corrosion
resistance, and good formability and weldability.

5456. Widely used for structural applications, 5456 is well-suited to the

extrusion process. It is also amenable to forming operations like rolling and
forging. 5456 can be made stronger through cold working, but the process
reduces its ductility.
5754. Its superior resistance to corrosion makes 5754 very suitable for the
marine industry and other industrial applications possessing corrosive operating
environments. It is also suitable for flooring applications due to its high strength.
Aluminum Products for Marine Applications
Marine aluminum is used to make a wide variety of marine products. Two of
these include honeycomb panels and metal powder.

Honeycomb panels are composite products inspired by the structure of

honeycombs in bee colonies. A honeycomb panel consists of a core layer of
hexagonal honeycomb fabricated with aluminum. The core is sandwiched
between two aluminum plates glued to either side. This structure can be
fabricated with various thicknesses.

Honeycomb panels have the following beneficial properties:

Low weight
High rigidity, strength, and vibration damping
High resistance to impacts
Good insulation from heat and sound
Good pliability
Since the honeycomb panel requires a smaller quantity of aluminum than a
solid sheet of comparable mechanical properties and thickness, it is more cost-
effective than aluminum panels. It’s lighter weight also saves on shipping costs
for bulk orders. Like all aluminum, honeycomb panels can be infinitely recycled.

Aluminum metal powders are used in a variety of industries, including the

marine industry. These fine particles of aluminum are used in many
manufacturing techniques, such as aluminum injection molding, surface coating,
and additive manufacturing.

Marine Grade Aluminum From Continental Steel

Continental Steel is an ISO 9001:2015-certified supplier and distributor of high-
quality specialty metals, including marine aluminum. We provide these value-
added services for all grades of aluminum to facilitate one-stop shopping for our
customers:

Anodizing
Chemical milling
Deep hole drilling
Grinding
Perforating
Polishing
Rigidizing
Trepanning