OnlineMetals.com - Guide to 2000 Series Aluminum | Materials Talk Series

Welcome to the Online Metals materials talk series! This video focuses on aluminum, more specifically the 2000 series aluminum alloys we provide here at Online Metals. Next to steel, aluminum is the most commonly used and commercially available metal in the world. It's lightweight and high strength-to-weight ratio, make it a great choice for anything from aircraft, to flashlights, to jigs. Pure aluminum, such as a thousand series and wrought aluminum alloys, has little strength but possess high electrical conductivity, reflectivity, and corrosion resistance. Now let's dive into the 2000 series. 2011 aluminum is the most machinable of the aluminum alloys and compares favorably to free cutting brass. Machining this alloy can produce excellent surface finishes and is a great choice for milling machines, lathes, shapers, and screw machine parts. However, weldability strength and anodizing response are all rated as average at best. And it doesn't offer a high degree of corrosion resistance. We also don't recommend welding by methods other than resistance as the addition of bismuth and lead lower solidification temperatures, which in turn can seriously reduce the ability to produce sound welds. If your part requires a lot of machining or the ability to make it quickly, 2011 is an excellent choice. 2024 aluminum is mainly alloyed with copper, making it stronger, more durable, and more wear resistant than most other aluminum alloys. It it only offers average machinability and below average corrosion resistance. Many items made from this alloy are produced with a clad surface to protect the underlying material. Additionally, 2024 is considered not weldable as it contains a small amount of magnesium. This ultimately extends the coherence range increasing the tendency for hot cracking to occur. All these attributes make 2024 very common in aerospace applications. Thank you for watching another online metals video, please subscribe to our channel or leave a comment below with questions or future video requests!