6061 aluminum properties
The welding capability of this product is great, allowing any method of welding to be used. Annealing can be performed, which will put it in a state to be easily cold worked. Any methods of cold working can be used for stamping, drilling, bending, deep drawing, tapping, and cutting.
When annealing this metal, it’s recommended that it be placed in 775 degrees F for between two and three hours, followed by a steady drop in the temperature by 50 degrees each hour, until it is down to 500 degrees F. Air cooling should be allowed afterward.
Other methods of heat treatment that can be used include solution heat treating, aging precipitation heat treating, and hot working.
6061 t6 aluminum sheet has a high strength to weight ratio making it ideal for any application where parts need to be light.
Alloy 6061 coils and sheets are the most versatile of the heat treatable aluminum alloys. Though less strong than most of the 2xxx and 7xxx alloys, 6061 aluminum provides an extensive range of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance and can be fabricated by many of the commonly used practices.
In the “O” temper or annealed condition, alloy 6061 has good formability. In the T4 condition, fairly severe forming can be done; whereas, in the T6 condition, properties may be obtained by artificial aging.
Welding
6061 is highly weldable, for example using tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) or metal inert gas welding (MIG). Typically, after welding, the properties near the weld are those of 6061-T4, a loss of strength of around 40%. The material can be re-heat-treated to restore near -T6 temper for the whole piece. After welding, the material can naturally age and restore some of its strength as well.
Most strength is recovered in the first few days to a few weeks. Nevertheless, the Aluminum Design Manual (Aluminum Association) recommends the design strength of the material adjacent to the weld to be taken as 165 MPa/24000 PSI without proper heat treatment after the welding. Typical filler material is 4043 or 5356.
Extrusions
6061 is an alloy used in the production of extrusions—long constant–cross-section structural shapes produced by pushing metal through a shaped die.
Forgings
6061 is an alloy that is suitable for hot forging. The billet is heated through an induction furnace and forged using a closed die process. This particular alloy is suitable for open die forgings. Automotive parts, ATV parts, and industrial parts are just some of the uses as a forging.
Aluminum 6061 can be forged into flat or round bars, rings, blocks, discs and blanks, hollows, and spindles. 6061 can be forged into special and custom shapes.
Castings
6061 is not an alloy that is traditionally cast due to its low silicon content affecting the fluidity in casting. It can be suitably cast using a specialized centrifugal casting method. Centrifugally cast 6061 is ideal for larger rings and sleeve applications that exceed limitations of most wrought offerings.
