Aluminium alloy grades: 1050, 5754, 6060, 6063, 6082, 6061 and 7075 compared

How the common aluminium alloys differ in strength, corrosion resistance, weldability, anodizing and machining, what tempers such as T6, H14 and H111 mean, and which alloy to choose for profiles, bars and sheet.

Updated October 17, 2026

Aluminium is ordered by alloy and temper. The alloy sets the chemistry; the temper sets how the metal was hardened. Together they decide strength, how well the part welds, machines and anodizes, and how it behaves outdoors. This guide compares the alloys used most for profiles, bars and sheet and shows which one fits which job.

Alloy series and designations

• 1xxx — at least 99% aluminium. Soft, very corrosion resistant, easy to form. Not heat-treatable.
• 5xxx — aluminium with magnesium. Good strength without heat treatment and the best resistance to seawater. Strengthened by cold work.
• 6xxx — aluminium with magnesium and silicon. Heat-treatable, the main family for extruded profiles, tubes and bars.
• 7xxx — aluminium with zinc. The highest strength, used for highly stressed and machined parts.

How the alloys compare

Minimum mechanical properties

Aluminium weighs about a third as much as steel: 2.70 g/cm³ against 7.85 g/cm³. A 6082 T6 bar has roughly the yield strength of S235 steel at a third of the weight, which is why it is used for frames, platforms and machine parts. Use the weight calculator for kg/m of any section.

Temper designations

• O — annealed, the softest condition.
• H111 — annealed, then lightly strain-hardened by flattening or stretching. Behaves close to O and bends easily.
• H14 — strain-hardened to half hard.
• H22 — strain-hardened and partly annealed to quarter hard. Stronger than H111 but still formable.
• T5 — cooled from the extrusion press and artificially aged. Common for 6060 and 6063 window and façade profiles.
• T6 — solution heat-treated and artificially aged. The standard high-strength condition for 6xxx and 7xxx alloys.
• T6511 / T651 — T6 stress-relieved by stretching. Bars and plate in this temper distort less when machined.

Alloy by alloy

• 1050 — almost pure aluminium. Excellent corrosion resistance, formability and a bright anodized finish, but low strength. Flashings, signs, reflectors, chemical and food containers, insulation cladding.
• 5754 — the general-purpose marine and transport sheet. Good strength in H22, excellent resistance to seawater and road salt, and very good weldability. Tanks, vehicle bodies, boat parts, chequer plate and enclosures.
• 6060 and 6063 — the architectural extrusion alloys. They extrude to sharp, smooth profiles and give the best decorative anodized and powder-coated finish. Windows, façades, handrails, trims and frames; 6060 is slightly weaker than 6063.
• 6082 — the European structural alloy and the strongest common 6xxx alloy. Machines well and welds well. Load-bearing frames, platforms, trusses, cranes, trailers and machined parts.
• 6061 — the North American counterpart of 6082 with similar strength. Specified on many US drawings for machined parts, frames and fittings.
• 7075 — zinc-alloyed, with strength comparable to many steels. Excellent for machined, highly stressed parts, moulds and tooling, but less corrosion resistant and not suitable for fusion welding.

Welding and finishing

1050, 5754 and the 6xxx alloys weld well by MIG and TIG, usually with 4043 or 5356 filler. Welding a 6xxx alloy in T6 softens the heat-affected zone and removes a large part of its strength there, so welded structures must be designed with reduced values to EN 1999 or the code that applies. 7075 is prone to hot cracking and is joined with bolts or rivets instead. For appearance, 6060 and 6063 anodize and powder coat to the most even finish; 6082 anodizes well for protection but can look less uniform.

Which alloy to choose

• Visible profiles, frames and handrails with an anodized or coated finish: 6063 (or 6060).
• Load-bearing members, platforms and parts to be machined: 6082 — or 6061 where the drawing asks for it.
• Highly stressed machined parts where weight matters and no welding is needed: 7075.
• Sheet for marine, transport or outdoor use and welded tanks: 5754.
• Sheet for simple forming, flashings and signs where strength is not needed: 1050.

Alloys we supply

• 6063 T6 — square tube, rectangular tube, round tube, equal angle, unequal angle and channel.
• 6082 T6 — flat bar, square bar and round bar.
• 6061 and 7075 — 6061 round bar and 7075 round bar in T6 and T6511.
• Sheet — 1050 H14 and 5754 H111 / H22.

Profiles and sheet can be cut to size, laser cut and powder coated before dispatch.

Frequently asked questions

Send your list with alloy, temper, size and quantity in a quote request. EN 10204 3.1 certificates are available on request.