Aluminum and its alloys are divided into two general classes – casting alloys and wrought alloys. Casting alloys are those that can be cast in sand, or poured into molds to give them a shape. The wrought alloys, which include the 6061 aluminum alloy, are cast and then hand-worked by extruding, rolling or forging them into the desired shapes. Some of these alloys can be heat-treated by different methods to increase their strength and hardness.

6061 Aluminum Properties

6061 Aluminium, originally known as “Alloy 61s”, was one of the first to be developed (in 1935), and is one of the most commonly available heat-treatable aluminum alloys for commercial use. The 6061 alloy is primarily composed of aluminum, magnesium and silicon. Its other metallic elements include iron, copper, chromium, zinc, manganese and titanium, in descending order of quantity. Alloy 6061 set the standard for a medium-to-high strength, lightweight, economical material. Earlier alloys had been susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking, but the addition of a small amount of Chromium made this alloy highly resistant to corrosion.