6000 series are alloyed with magnesium and silicon Good Formability Corrosion resistant Medium strength T6 Solution

heat treated and artificially aged Precipitation hardening, also called age hardening, is a heat treatment technique used to increase the yield strength of malleable materials The introduction of alloy 61S (6061) in 1935 filled the need for medium-strength, heat-treatable products with good corrosion resistance that could be welded or anodized Aluminum and alloying elements are mixed at high temperatures Aged for 8 hours at 350 F then air cooled, this is what makes it T-6 tempered

6061 has a density of 2.70 g/cm (0.0975 lb/in). [edit]Chemical

composition

The alloy composition of 6061 is: Silicon minimum 0.4%, maximum 0.8% by weight Iron no minimum, maximum 0.7%

Copper minimum 0.15%, maximum 0.40% Manganese no minimum, maximum 0.15% Magnesium minimum 0.8%, maximum 1.2% Chromium minimum 0.04%, maximum 0.35% Zinc no minimum, maximum 0.25% Titanium no minimum, maximum 0.15% Other elements no more than 0.05% each, 0.15% total Remainder Aluminium (95.85%98.56%

The high magnesium content is responsible for the high corrosion resistance

One of the most common aluminum for general purpose applications

Alfredo S. Ribeiro and Ablio M.P. de Jesus (2011). Fatigue Behaviour of Welded Joints Made of 6061T651 Aluminium Alloy, Aluminium Alloys, Theory and Applications, Prof. Tibor Kvackaj (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953307-244-9, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/aluminium-alloys-theory-andapplications/fatigue-behaviour-of-welded-joints-made-of-6061-t651-aluminium-alloy

T6 temper 6061 has an ultimate tensile strength of at least 42,000 psi (300 MPa) and yield strength of at least 35,000 psi (241 MPa). More typical values are 45,000 psi (310 MPa) and 40,000 psi (275 MPa), [4] respectively. In thicknesses of 0.250 inch (6.35 mm) or less, it has elongation of 8% or more The typical value for thermal conductivity for 6061-T6 at 80C is around 152 W/m K

Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earths crust. From four tons of bauxite, it's possible to refine about two tons of aluminaa powdery white oxide of aluminum. And from those two tons of alumina, we can smelt a ton of aluminum.
an excellent conductor of electricity and heat, it is light in weight

tensile strength, density, ductility, formability, workability, weldability, and corrosion resistance

Bauxite Ore, formed by the weathering of rocks containg aluminum silicates. First mined in france, but today most bauxite mining is found the carribean, Australia, South Americaa, and Africa. Mainly found in tropical areas. The richest deposits of bauxite ore can be found in Australia, Guinea, Brazil, and Jamaica. A caustic soda breaks the ore down into alumina. The alumina is placed in salt baths in pots at about 1700 degrees Fahrenheit. bauxite in a several-step caustic soda/high temperature process The alumina is converted into aluminum at the reduction plant. Typically, this is accomplished in a carbon-lined electrolytic cell in which the electrolyte is molten cryolite (sodium-aluminum fluoride). This is basically the Hall process3. The current flows between a carbon anode and the pot lining (cathode). As alumina is added to the bath, it is separated by electrolysis into oxygen and aluminum. The liberated oxygen combines with the carbon of the anode and is carried away as carbon dioxide gas. The molten aluminum is heavier than the electrolytic solution and settles to the bottom of the reduction cell, from which it is siphoned at appropriate intervals. The aluminum reduction process operates at low voltage and high amperage. A series of these electrolytic cells or pots connected together by large aluminum electrical bus bars, is called a potline. The molten aluminum is siphoned off into crucibles which are transported by overhead cranes and emptied into furnaces, where other elements are added to produce the desired alloy. The metal is then poured into vertical, direct chill casting devices to produce rolling ingot. Ingot is reduced to re-roll stock gauges on the regular sheet and plate mills, and finally to foil gauges in specialized foil rolling mills. Aluminum oxide or alumina is Al2O3 The aluminum atom in Bauxite is bonded to Oxygen molecules, whose bonds are broken through electrolysis. Aluminum sinks to the bottom of the pots in which the electrolysis takes place Bayer process

Hall invented the modern electrolysis process and went on to found Alcoa. Two pounds of alumina, obtained from four pounds of bauxite, are required to make one pound of aluminum. In addition, 0.6 pound carbon plus small amounts of other materials, are consumed in the process. When commercial production of aluminum began shortly before the turn of the century, 12 kilowatt hours (Kwh) of electrical energy were needed to produce one pound of aluminum. By the early 1950's, process refinements had reduced the power consumption to about 9. Now, in the late 1970's, the average is less than 8 Kwh/lb, with several newer plants having achieved a 6.5 Kwh/lb energy use. And one pilot plant, now employing a new aluminum smelting process, has consumed less than 5 Kwh/lb average during its first nine months of regular operation. The aluminum industry is continuing to employ energy conservation practices and research at all levels.

The most common grades are T0, T4, and T6. The grades, processes and strengths are depicted below:

Temper T0 T4 T6

Process

Tensile(PSI)

Yield(PSI) 8,000 21,000 40,000

fully annealed aluminum 18,000

Solution heat treated and naturally aged 35,000 Solution heat treated and artificially aged 45,000

6061 T6 losses half its total strength when welded. Consequently, a post heat treatment process is required to regain it's full T6 strength Rickey M. Horwitz Choosing the Materials
http://www.ihpva.org/projects/practicalinnovations/materials.html

The 6061 alloy of aluminum is one the most widely used alloys of the 600 0 series of alloys. It has excellent corrosion resistance to atmospheric conditions, which is what it will be exposed to in this application. Responds well to anodizing. Understanding Extruded Aluminum Alloys http://www.alcoa.com/adip/catalog/pdf/Extruded_Alloy_6061.pdf

While it costs more than mild steel, 6061-T6 is still relatively inexpensive especially taking into consideration its numerous benefits over steel. Considered the least expensive alloy, its priced between $10 and $25 per square foot of plate, depending on the vendor and the quantity purchased. Its fairly low cost combined with its wide availability further its desirability.