Aluminum 1060: Composition, Properties, Temper Guide & Applications

Comprehensive Overview

1060 is a member of the 1000 series of wrought aluminium alloys, representing commercially pure aluminium with a minimum aluminium content of roughly 99.6%. This series is characterized by very low addition of alloying elements and is classified as non-heat-treatable; mechanical strength is obtained primarily through work hardening and by selecting appropriate product tempers.

Major deliberate alloying constituents in 1060 are present only in trace quantities: iron and silicon are the primary residual elements with copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, chromium and titanium limited to very low maximums. The lack of active solid-solution strengthening elements means 1060 relies on cold work for strength, giving it excellent ductility and formability in annealed condition and predictable strengthening curves with strain.

Key traits of 1060 include outstanding corrosion resistance in many atmospheres, high thermal and electrical conductivity, excellent weldability, and superior formability in the annealed temper. The alloy’s low strength relative to other wrought alloys is its primary limitation, but its combination of conductivity, purity, and ease of fabrication makes it attractive to industries such as electrical conductors, chemical processing, packaging, architectural cladding, and heat exchangers.

Engineers select 1060 when maximizing conductivity, formability, or corrosion resistance is more important than maximizing strength. It is also chosen where metallurgical purity is needed for brazing, plating, or chemical compatibility, and where low cost and wide availability in sheet, coil, and extrusion forms are required.

Temper Variants

Temper	Strength Level	Elongation	Formability	Weldability	Notes
O	Low	High (20–35%)	Excellent	Excellent	Fully annealed, maximum ductility
H12	Low–Moderate	Moderate (10–20%)	Very Good	Excellent	Light work hardening, retains good formability
H14	Moderate	Moderate (6–15%)	Good	Excellent	Common commercial cold-worked temper for sheet
H18	Moderate–High	Low (2–8%)	Fair	Excellent	Fully hard cold-worked condition, limited forming
H24	Moderate	Lower (4–10%)	Limited	Excellent	Strain-hardened then partially annealed
H19	High	Very Low (≤5%)	Poor	Excellent	Maximum strain hardening for applications requiring stiff, thin sections

Temper has a primary influence on strength and ductility in 1060 because alloying additions are minimal and heat treatment cannot produce precipitation strengthening. Cold work (H‑tempers) increases yield and tensile strength at the expense of ductility and formability, enabling selection between excellent formability (O) and greater stiffness or springback (H18/H19).

Weldability remains excellent across most tempers because the alloy is essentially pure aluminium, but the heat-affected zone can locally reduce work-hardened strength; designers must account for softening adjacent to welds when using H‑tempers.

Chemical Composition

Element	% Range	Notes
Al	Balance (~99.6 min)	Principal constituent; determines conductivity and corrosion behavior
Si	≤ 0.25	Residual impurity; influences fluidity during casting for other alloys
Fe	≤ 0.35	Most common impurity; can reduce ductility and slightly lower conductivity
Mn	≤ 0.03	Very low; negligible strengthening
Mg	≤ 0.03	Negligible for solid-solution strengthening in 1060
Cu	≤ 0.05	Minimised to preserve corrosion resistance and conductivity
Zn	≤ 0.03	Kept low to avoid galvanic and strength changes
Cr	≤ 0.03	Trace; may influence grain structure marginally
Ti	≤ 0.03	Typically used in small amounts for grain refinement in some products
Others	≤ 0.15 (total)	Other residuals combined; controlled to maintain purity

The near‑binary composition of aluminium with tightly controlled low residuals preserves high electrical and thermal conductivity and excellent corrosion resistance. Even small increases in iron or silicon will reduce ductility and conductivity; therefore, 1060 specifications keep impurity limits strict to deliver consistent performance for conductivity-sensitive and chemically-compatible applications.

Mechanical Properties

In tensile behavior, annealed 1060 displays low yield strength and low tensile strength with very high elongation, giving it excellent capability for deep drawing and complex forming operations. Cold working (H‑tempers) progressively raises yield and tensile strength while reducing elongation; the strain‑hardening response is predictable and linear for design calculations involving springback and residual stress.

Hardness in annealed material is low and typically increases with work hardening; Brinell or Vickers hardness values scale consistently with tensile increases. Fatigue performance is limited by the low inherent strength and depends strongly on surface condition, residual stresses introduced during fabrication, and the presence of notches; polished and anodized surfaces will improve fatigue life.

Thickness has a dual role: thinner gauges achieve full anneal and more uniform mechanical properties after processing, while thicker sections may contain more residual stresses and heterogeneity from rolling or extrusion that slightly raise minimum strength but can reduce uniform elongation.

Property	O/Annealed	Key Temper (e.g., H14/H18)	Notes
Tensile Strength	70–105 MPa	120–180 MPa	Values vary with gauge and strain hardening level
Yield Strength	25–60 MPa	80–140 MPa	Yield increases strongly with cold work
Elongation	20–35%	2–15%	Annealed offers maximum elongation; H‑tempers trade ductility for strength
Hardness	20–35 HB	30–55 HB	Hardness correlates to tensile; annealed material very soft

Physical Properties

Property	Value	Notes
Density	2.70–2.71 g/cm³	Typical for high-purity aluminium alloys
Melting Range	~660–657 °C	Solidus/liquidus narrow for pure Al; melting point near 660 °C
Thermal Conductivity	~220–237 W/m·K	Very high, slightly lower than pure aluminium depending on impurities
Electrical Conductivity	~58–61 %IACS	High conductivity suitable for busbars and conductor applications
Specific Heat	~897 J/kg·K (0.897 J/g·K)	Typical for aluminium near room temperature
Thermal Expansion	~23.4 ×10⁻⁶ /K	High coefficient; important for thermal cycling designs

The physical property set of 1060 makes it attractive where heat dissipation or electrical conduction are primary functional requirements. Designers must consider the relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion in assemblies with dissimilar materials to avoid distortion under temperature swings.

The alloy’s near‑pure composition keeps thermal and electrical conductivities close to elemental aluminium, so 1060 is often the material of choice for radiators, heat sinks, and current-carrying components where minimal alloying would otherwise reduce performance.

Product Forms

Form	Typical Thickness/Size	Strength Behavior	Common Tempers	Notes
Sheet	0.2–6.0 mm	Uniform, readily cold-worked	O, H12, H14, H18	Widely used for cladding, packaging, and deep drawing
Plate	>6.0 up to 50 mm	Lower uniform strength in thick sections	O	Thick plate used for chemical tanks and architectural panels
Extrusion	Profile cross-sections	Strength varies with cooling and work hardening	O, H12	Extrusions maintain high conductivity and are used in heat-transfer profiles
Tube	Diameters 6–300 mm	Similar to sheet; welded or seamless	O, H14	Heat exchangers, conduits, and piping applications
Bar/Rod	Ø 4–100 mm	Good for forging and cold heading	O, H12, H14	Used for heat-transfer pins and electrical bus bars

Sheets and coils are the dominant production forms and are typically processed to tight thickness tolerances with consistent surface finishes suitable for anodizing. Extrusions and tubes require careful control of billet chemistry and cooling to minimize residual stresses and to maintain dimensional stability for assemblies.

Selection of form and temper is driven by required final properties: deep-drawn components favor annealed sheet, load-bearing but thin stiffness applications may require H‑tempers, and extruded heat-sink profiles often use the alloy in as‑extruded or lightly hardened states to balance conductivity with dimensional stability.

Equivalent Grades

Standard	Grade	Region	Notes
AA	1060	USA	ASTM and AMS callouts for commercially pure aluminium
EN AW	1060 (Al99.6)	Europe	EN standard aligns with 99.6% minimum Al content
JIS	A1050 / A1060	Japan	JIS equivalents for high-purity aluminium grades
GB/T	1060	China	Chinese GB numbers commonly match wrought alloy designation

Equivalent grades across standards are broadly similar in composition but can have slightly different impurity limits, certification practices, and product forms. Users specifying cross-standard equivalence should check detailed chemical and mechanical tolerances and the governing product specification (sheet, plate, extrusion) to ensure full interchangeability. Traceability and certification documents are advisable when replacement material will be used in electrical or chemical service.

Corrosion Resistance

1060 exhibits excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion and performs well in many industrial and urban environments due to a stable, adherent aluminium oxide film that passivates the surface. In mildly aggressive environments and many chemical settings the alloy's low copper and zinc contents mitigate galvanic and pitting tendencies, providing longer life than many higher-strength alloys having significant copper content.

In marine or chloride-bearing environments 1060 performs reasonably well compared with common structural alloys, though aluminium is anodic to many other metals and will suffer galvanic attack if coupled to active cathodic materials without proper isolation. Stress corrosion cracking is not a common failure mode for 1060 in normal use because the alloy is soft and not heavily cold worked in typical service; however, sensitization is not applicable as with some steels and high-strength aluminium alloys.

When compared to 3xxx and 5xxx series alloys, 1060 offers comparable or superior corrosion resistance in neutral and mildly acidic environments because it lacks significant amounts of copper or magnesium, but it does not provide sacrificial anodic protection that some coated or alloyed systems might deliver in highly aggressive chloride-rich environments.

Fabrication Properties

Weldability

1060 welds exceptionally well with common fusion methods such as TIG and MIG because the alloy is essentially pure aluminium and does not tend to hot-crack like some higher-strength alloys. Filler metals such as 1100, 4043 (Al-Si) or 5356 (Al-Mg) are commonly used depending on required ductility, corrosion resistance and post-weld finishing; 4043 reduces hot-cracking susceptibility in some geometries.

Heat-affected zones in welds will locally reduce any pre-existing work-hardened strength, so designers should account for softened zones adjacent to welds in components made from H‑tempers. Preheating is rarely required for thin gauge sheet but may be employed for thick sections to avoid thermal gradients and distortion.

Machinability

The machinability of 1060 is moderate to low compared with dedicated free‑machining aluminium alloys; the material is soft and tends to smear rather than fracture, so sharp tooling and aggressive chip formation strategies are needed. Carbide tools with positive rake angles and good edge preparation produce best results, and coolant or lubricant reduces built-up edge and improves surface finish for tight tolerance parts.

Cutting speeds can be relatively high compared with steels, but chip control and vibration damping are important because the ductile chips can entangle; design of chip breakers and use of high feed rates to promote segmented chips are common practice.

Formability

Formability is one of 1060’s strongest attributes in the O temper, with excellent deep-drawing, bending and stretch-forming characteristics owing to high uniform elongation and low yield. Minimum bend radii are typically 0.5–1.0× thickness for annealed sheet in many forming operations, and the alloy tolerates tight radii and complex geometries with minimal cracking.

Cold work is the primary strengthening mechanism and can be used to tailor springback and stiffness after forming, but once hardened the alloy loses significant ductility and is less amenable to secondary forming; designers must sequence forming and strain-hardening operations carefully.

Heat Treatment Behavior

1060 is classified as a non-heat-treatable alloy; it does not undergo precipitation hardening and therefore cannot be strengthened through solution treatment and aging cycles. Strength modifications are achieved through controlled cold work to introduce dislocation density, or by performing a full anneal to return the material to the O temper with maximum ductility.

Annealing cycles for 1060 are typically performed by heating to temperatures in the range of 300–415°C depending on section thickness and time, followed by controlled cooling to avoid distortion; this restores ductility by promoting recrystallization and reducing dislocation density. Because thermal treatments do not produce age-hardening precipitates, temper transitions are described as combinations of strain hardening and thermal stabilization (H‑tempers designate the degree of strain hardening).

High-Temperature Performance

1060 experiences a marked reduction in strength as service temperature increases; significant loss of mechanical performance occurs above ~150–200°C due to recovery and softening processes that reduce dislocation density. For prolonged elevated-temperature service designers typically limit continuous operation to below ~100–120°C to preserve mechanical properties and to avoid creep deformation in load-bearing parts.

Oxidation of aluminium at elevated temperature produces a thin protective oxide but will not provide structural protection against corrosion in oxidative or chloride-rich atmospheres; the alloy’s softening in the heat-affected zones adjacent to high-temperature exposures must be considered in welded or brazed assemblies.

Applications

Industry	Example Component	Why 1060 Is Used
Electrical	Busbars, conductors, collector strips	High electrical conductivity and low impurity levels
Chemical & Food	Tanks, piping, liners	Corrosion resistance and chemical compatibility
HVAC / Heat Transfer	Radiator fins, heat-exchanger fins	High thermal conductivity and formability
Architecture	Cladding, soffit panels	Formability, finishability, corrosion resistance
Consumer Packaging	Foil, containers	Purity, malleability, safe contact with food

1060 is frequently selected when conductivity, corrosion resistance, and formability are the key functional drivers rather than peak mechanical strength. Its broad availability in sheet, coil, and extruded forms, together with predictable cold-work response and ease of joining, ensures continued use across many industrial sectors.

Selection Insights

1060 is the logical choice when electrical or thermal conductivity and superior formability are prioritized over strength. For busbars, heat-sink fins, deep-drawn containers, and chemically compatible linings the alloy’s purity and low residuals make it more suitable than many alloyed alternatives.

Compared with commercially pure 1100, 1060 typically offers similar conductivity and slightly higher minimum aluminium content when specified, trading marginally different impurity limits for availability and cost; designers should select based on specific certification limits. Compared with work‑hardened alloys such as 3003 or 5052, 1060 generally provides better conductivity and equal or better corrosion resistance but lower as‑worked strength, so it is preferred when forming or conductivity outweighs load-bearing needs. Versus heat‑treatable alloys like 6061, 1060 will have much lower peak strength but superior conductivity and formability, making it the preferred material when joining, brazing, or thermal transfer are the dominant design drivers.

Closing Summary

1060 remains a cornerstone alloy for applications that demand purity, conductivity, corrosion resistance, and outstanding formability rather than high strength. Its predictable cold-work response, wide availability in many product forms, and ease of fabrication keep it relevant for electrical, chemical, architectural, and heat‑transfer engineering even in modern materials portfolios.