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6082-T61 Aluminum vs. 6082-T651 Aluminum

Jan. 11, 2025

6082-T61 aluminum alloy offers better ductility and machinability, making it suitable for applications that require flexibility and shaping, while 6082-T651 aluminum alloy provides higher strength, hardness, and fatigue durability, making it more suitable for structural applications that bear high loads and repeated stress.

6082-T61 aluminum alloy and 6082-T651 aluminum alloy are different processed versions of the same 6082 aluminum alloy. The main difference lies in the heat treatment process and the resulting differences in mechanical properties. Although they are similar in thermal and electrical characteristics, they differ in strength, ductility, and fatigue strength, which makes them suitable for different applications.

  • 6082-T61 has better elongation at fracture and higher ultimate elasticity, making it more ductile and able to withstand larger deformations before failure.
  • 6082-T651 has higher tensile strength (ultimate and yield strength) and fatigue strength, making it more suitable for high-strength, high-stress applications.

The thermal, electrical, and environmental characteristics of both alloys are almost the same, which means they have similar heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and environmental impact.

Differences Between 6082-T61 Aluminum Alloy and 6082-T651 Aluminum Alloy

Property 6082-T61 Aluminum Alloy 6082-T651 Aluminum Alloy
Ductility More ductile, with higher elongation before fracture. Relatively lower ductility, higher strength but lower ductility.
Hardness and Tensile Strength Lower hardness and tensile strength, offering better flexibility but weaker strength. Harder and stronger, with higher wear resistance and resistance to indentation.
Fatigue Strength Lower fatigue strength, more suitable for applications requiring higher plasticity or bending performance. Higher fatigue strength, suitable for applications subjected to repeated loads or vibrations.
Suitable Applications Suitable for applications requiring good machinability, such as parts that need forming or bending. More suitable for structural applications subjected to heavy loads, such as in aerospace, automotive, and other industries.
Strength Requirements Suitable for applications with lower strength requirements, where higher flexibility is needed. More suitable for applications requiring high strength and structural stability, such as those bearing heavy loads.

How to Choose Between 6082-T61 and 6082-T651 Aluminum Alloys

  • Choose 6082-T61: Suitable for applications that require good ductility, ease of forming, and machinability. It is more suitable for situations where bending, stretching, and good machinability are needed, especially in environments where the structure does not bear heavy loads.
  • Choose 6082-T651: Suitable for applications that require high strength, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance. It performs best in heavy-load, long-term use, and structural applications that endure repeated stress.
Selection Factors 6082-T61 Aluminum Alloy 6082-T651 Aluminum Alloy
Ductility and Flexibility Offers higher ductility and flexibility, suitable for applications requiring deformation or bending. Lower ductility, suitable for high-strength applications with greater structural stability requirements.
Hardness and Tensile Strength Lower hardness and tensile strength, providing better flexibility, suitable for easy-to-machine applications. Higher hardness and tensile strength, offering better resistance to indentation and wear.
Fatigue Strength Lower fatigue strength, not suitable for high-frequency fatigue load applications. Higher fatigue strength, suitable for applications subjected to repeated loads and vibrations.
Suitable Applications Suitable for applications requiring good machinability, bending, and forming, such as vehicle body panels and pipes. Suitable for applications requiring heavy load-bearing capacity, structural stability, and durability, such as in aerospace and automotive industries.
Strength Requirements Suitable for applications with lower strength requirements, needing higher flexibility, such as brackets and thin sheets. Suitable for applications requiring high strength and structural stability, such as aircraft frames and ships.
Machining Difficulty Easy to machine, suitable for complex shapes or secondary processing. More difficult to machine, suitable for applications requiring high strength and high precision.
Suitable Environments Suitable for low-load environments where deformation is required, such as light structures. Suitable for heavy-load, high-stress environments subjected to repeated stress, such as heavy machinery and aerospace applications.
Thermal and Electrical Properties The same as T651, suitable for applications requiring thermal conductivity or electrical conductivity. The same as T61, suitable for applications requiring thermal conductivity or electrical conductivity.
Overall Consideration More suitable for applications requiring good ductility and machinability. More suitable for applications requiring high strength, fatigue resistance, high load-bearing, and structural stability.

6082-T61 Aluminum vs. 6082-T651 Aluminum Mechanical Properties

Property 6082-T61 6082-T651
Brinell Hardness 82 91
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus (GPa) 69 69
Elongation at Break (%) 9.1 6.3
Fatigue Strength (MPa) 88 94
Poisson's Ratio 0.33 0.33
Shear Modulus (GPa) 26 26
Shear Strength (MPa) 190 190
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS) (MPa) 310 320
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof) (MPa) 220 270

6082-T61 Aluminum vs. 6082-T651 Aluminum Thermal Properties

Property 6082-T61 6082-T651
Latent Heat of Fusion (J/g) 410 410
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical (°C) 170 170
Melting Completion (Liquidus, °C) 650 650
Melting Onset (Solidus, °C) 580 580
Specific Heat Capacity (J/kg-K) 900 900
Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) 160 160
Thermal Expansion (µm/m-K) 23 23

6082-T61 Aluminum vs. 6082-T651 Aluminum Electrical Properties

Property 6082-T61 6082-T651
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume (% IACS) 42 42
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific, % IACS) 140 140

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Property 6082-T61 6082-T651
Base Metal Price (% relative) 9.5 9.5
Density (g/cm³) 2.7 2.7
Embodied Carbon (kg CO₂/kg material) 8.3 8.3
Embodied Energy (MJ/kg) 150 150
Embodied Water (L/kg) 1170 1170

Common Calculations

Calculation 6082-T61 6082-T651
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work, MJ/m³) 26 19
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience, kJ/m³) 360 510
Stiffness to Weight: Axial (points) 14 14
Stiffness to Weight: Bending (points) 50 50
Strength to Weight: Axial (points) 32 32
Strength to Weight: Bending (points) 38 38
Thermal Diffusivity (mm²/s) 67 67
Thermal Shock Resistance (points) 14 14

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