The Difference Between 6063 And 6061 Aluminum Alloy

The Difference Between 6063 And 6061 Aluminum Alloy

The main alloying elements in 6000 series aluminum alloys are magnesium and silicon, which have medium strength, good corrosion resistance, weldability, and good oxidation effect.

6063 aluminum alloy is a common type of aluminum alloy. The main alloying elements are magnesium and silicon. It has excellent processing performance, excellent weldability, extrudability and electroplating, good corrosion resistance, toughness, easy to polish, Colored film, excellent anodizing effect, is a typical extrusion alloy. 6063 aluminum alloy profiles have many advantages such as good plasticity, moderate heat treatment strength, good welding performance and gorgeous surface color, so they are widely used in building profiles, irrigation pipes, vehicles, benches, furniture, elevators and fences.

6061 is a heat-treatable-strengthened alloy with good formability, weldability and machinability, as well as moderate strength, which can maintain good operability after annealing. The main alloying elements of 6061 alloy are magnesium and silicon, and form the Mg2Si phase. If it contains a certain amount of manganese and chromium, it can neutralize the bad effects of iron; sometimes a small amount of copper or zinc is added to improve the strength of the alloy without significantly reducing its corrosion resistance; there is also a small amount of conductive material. Copper to offset the adverse effects of titanium and iron on electrical conductivity; zirconium or titanium can refine grains and control recrystallization structure; in order to improve machinability, lead and bismuth can be added. Mg2Si is solid-dissolved in aluminum, which makes the alloy have artificial aging hardening function.

Generally, 6061 has more alloying elements than 6063, so the material strength is higher. 6061 aluminum alloy normally has better strength than 6063 aluminum alloy but are worse in surface finishes. The 6063 aluminum alloy is better than the 6061 grade aluminum alloy in plasticity, and can meet the high requirements of precision. In terms of strength and processing performance, the aluminum alloy of the 6061 grade is better than the aluminum alloy of the 6063.

In a word, 6061 aluminum alloy are intended for structural applications where greater strength is needed while 6063 aluminum alloy are more used for architecture applications where surface finish is more important.