Duralumin is Duralumin: composition, properties, price

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Duralumin is a material created on the basis of pure aluminum with alloying elements, the inclusion of which in the composition of the melt changes the properties of the metal. Soft and lightweight aluminum gains load resistance while retaining all the benefits of a pure element.

Random Discovery

Duralumin is an alloy of aluminum with a small amount of copper, which is aged at a certain temperature in artificially created conditions. The material was invented in 1903 by Alfred Wilm, who was an engineer in a German factory. During the experiments, he noticed a pattern, confirmed by long-term experiments. He found out that if aluminum and 4% copper are alloyed, and then the resulting material is quenched at a temperature of +500 ° C, followed by rapid cooling and holding at room temperature for several days, then a metal with increased strength indicators is obtained, with full preservation of ductile properties. main element.

During the following years, alloys with a large number of additives were obtained, which increased the strength of the material. At the present stage, duralumin ishigh-strength alloy, which, depending on the variety, may include copper, magnesium, silicon, zinc, etc.

Composition

The strength properties of duralumin demonstrate high rates - up to 370 MPa (the strength of pure aluminum is 70-80 MPa), which makes the material in demand in many areas of industry. An alloy of aluminum with chemical elements, in certain proportions, varies the characteristics of the resulting material. The base alloy consists of classic proportions of ingredients.

Duralumin composition has the following:

• Copper (Cu) - 0.5% of the total mass.
• Manganese (Mn) makes up 0.5% of the alloy.
• Magnesium (Mg) - 1.5% of the total mass.
• Silicon (Si) - 1.2%.
• Iron (Fe) makes up about 0.1% of the composition.
• Aluminum (Al) is the main element.

Main types of alloys

There are several types of alloys that differ in their characteristics.

What can be duralumin (composition, ligatures and quality)?

• Aluminum + manganese (Al+ Mg), aluminum + magnesium (Al+ Mn), the second name of "maglia" - is characterized by corrosion resistance, high soldering, welding. Not good for cutting. Alloys of these compositions are not subjected to additional hardening. The material is used for the manufacture of pipes for gasoline pipelines, car radiators, tanks for various purposes, in construction work, etc.
• Aluminum + manganese + silicon (Al + Mg + Si), the alloy was given the name "avial". The properties of duralumin of this composition are corrosion resistance, lightness and strength of welds, fine grain. Hardening takes place at a temperature of +515–525°C with a sharp cooling in water (+20°C) for 10 days. The main area of application is products used in conditions of high humidity, the manufacture of materials, parts, machines in the aircraft industry, the automotive industry, recently aviation has replaced expensive steel in mobile phone parts, etc.
• Aluminum + copper + manganese (Al + Cu + Mg), or duralumin, is a structural material, depending on the need to obtain final properties, the amount of each alloying element may vary. The alloy has found application in the aircraft industry, the space industry, for the manufacture of high-speed trains (Sapsan), etc. The disadvantage of the alloy is its corrosion instability. Sheet duralumin requires careful anti-corrosion treatment, which mainly occurs by applying pure aluminum to the surface.

Application

Duralumin is the main material for aircraft and space industry. The first use for aircraft occurred in 1911 in the construction of airships. In the 21st century, there are more than ten brands of this lightweight and durable material. For aircraft parts, the D16t brand is most often used, which includes nine metals, such as titanium, nickel, etc., and the ligature consists of copper, silicon, and magnesium. The amount of aluminum in the alloy is limited by the standard content - 93%.

Not all duralumin alloys lend themselves well to welding, so many products are made with rivets and other types of fasteners. The main industrial application of the material was the aircraft industry, automotive industry, machine tool industry. But not only high technologies use duralumin, for example, a boat for personal use made from this material will last more than 20 years, and even longer with good care and prevention.

In shipbuilding, not only ship hulls are made of material, but also a large number of internal hull parts, assemblies. Duralumin pipes, thick-walled and thin-walled, are used everywhere, from housing and communal services to gas pipelines. Rolled sheets are used in building structures.

Advantages and disadvantages

Duralumin is an aluminum-based alloy that, like any material, has advantages. Among them:

• High static strength.
• Long service life.
• Low vulnerability to destruction.
• Resistant to many aggressive environments, mechanical, temperature effects.
• Adaptation to welding (pure aluminum does not respond well to welding seams).
• Many applications.

There is one significant drawback that duralumin has - it is susceptibility to corrosion damage. All products made of material are necessarily clad with pure aluminum or coated with primers,preventing rust.

Prices

It is not difficult to purchase the material, the cost is formed depending on the component composition. Most factories producing non-ferrous metals produce duralumin. The price depends on many factors, in particular on the type of product, scope of supply and other conditions. In the accompanying documents, the manufacturer is obliged to indicate data on the percentage of the alloy, compliance with GOST, performance characteristics.

The cost of products from duralumin (corner, pipe, sheet) starts from 580 rubles per kilogram. With an increase in the volume of supply, the price per ton of alloy pipes is about 510 thousand rubles. Duralumin circles start at a price of 250 rubles per kilogram. A circle is a symbol of a material blank, the cross section of which is a circle of various sizes, the length of the product reaches 3 meters.