Aluminum 1080: Composition, Properties, Temper Guide & Applications

Comprehensive Overview

1080 is a member of the 1xxx series of aluminum alloys, representing the commercially pure aluminum group where aluminum content is typically 99.80% minimum. The 1xxx series is characterized by very low intentional alloying additions and is classified by its high purity rather than by alloying-driven strengthening. Major alloying and impurity elements in 1080 are present only as traces and include silicon, iron, manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc, chromium and titanium; these elements typically exist at parts-per-thousand levels and are controlled to maintain high conductivity and corrosion resistance.

The alloy is non-heat-treatable and derives mechanical strength primarily from solid-solution softening at very low impurity levels and from strain hardening (cold work) when deformed. Key traits of 1080 include excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, superior atmospheric corrosion resistance, outstanding formability in the annealed condition, and very good weldability with appropriate filler selection. Its primary limitations are low absolute strength and limited fatigue endurance relative to alloyed aluminum grades.

Typical industries that use 1080 include electrical transmission and conductor products, chemical and food processing equipment, architectural applications, and heat transfer components where high conductivity is required. Engineers choose 1080 when conductivity, corrosion resistance, and formability are higher priorities than mechanical strength, or when its high purity provides metallurgical or surface-condition advantages for processing and finishing.

1080 is selected over other alloys when minimal alloying and maximum ductility are required, or when electrical/thermal performance must be maximized while retaining good fabricability. Designers often prefer 1080 for components that require deep drawing or complex forming, or for metallurgical compatibility with processes sensitive to alloying elements.

Temper Variants

Temper	Strength Level	Elongation	Formability	Weldability	Notes
O	Low	High (30–45%)	Excellent	Excellent	Fully annealed, maximum ductility
H12	Low-Medium	Moderate (15–30%)	Very good	Excellent	Light work hardening, improved stiffness
H14	Medium	Moderate-Low (10–20%)	Good	Excellent	Typical commercial half-hard temper
H16	Medium-High	Lower (8–15%)	Fair	Excellent	Three-quarter-hard, stronger but less formable
H18	High	Low (3–10%)	Limited	Excellent	Full hard, maximized strength by cold work
H111	Low (softened)	High (25–40%)	Excellent	Excellent	Slightly manipulated temper for minor strain

Temper has a dominant influence on the trade-off between strength and ductility in 1080 because the alloy cannot be age-hardened. Annealed O-temper provides the best formability and highest conductivity, making it ideal for deep drawing and electrical applications. Increasing H-number (work hardening) raises yield and tensile strength while reducing elongation and formability; selection is a process balance between forming operations and required in-service stiffness.

Chemical Composition

Element	% Range	Notes
Al	Bal. (≥99.80)	Aluminum basis, remainder of composition
Si	≤0.03	Controlled impurity; reduces melting/flow slightly
Fe	≤0.12	Most common impurity; influences grain structure
Mn	≤0.03	Minor grain refiner, limited solid solution strengthening
Mg	≤0.03	Trace only; minimal strengthening effect
Cu	≤0.03	Kept very low to preserve corrosion resistance
Zn	≤0.03	Trace-level impurity; influences electrical properties minimally
Cr	≤0.03	Very low; can assist grain stability in small amounts
Ti	≤0.03	Used in minute amounts for grain control
Others (each)	≤0.05	Total impurities typically ≤0.20%

The composition table emphasizes that 1080 is essentially pure aluminum with tightly controlled trace elements. The low levels of transition and alloying elements preserve electrical and thermal conductivity and maintain the characteristic soft, ductile response to cold work. Small amounts of iron, silicon or titanium function as grain refiners or affect melt/solidification behavior, but they are insufficient to produce significant precipitation strengthening.

Mechanical Properties

1080 exhibits classic behavior of commercially pure aluminum: low yield and ultimate strengths in the annealed condition and increasing strength with cold work. Tensile behavior is ductile in O temper, with significant uniform elongation and a wide plastic range, which supports forming operations such as deep drawing and spinning. In work-hardened tempers the yield and tensile strengths rise substantially while elongation narrows, affecting formability and fatigue crack initiation behavior.

Yield strength is low in annealed condition and increases roughly proportionally with the degree of strain hardening in H-tempers; this is a predictable and controllable strengthening path for designers. Hardness values are correspondingly low in O state and increase with H12–H18 tempers; Brinell or Vickers hardness correlates well with tensile strength for material verification. Fatigue performance is moderate—fatigue limit is lower than alloyed aluminum grades and is sensitive to surface condition, cold work level, and stress concentrators.

Property	O/Annealed	Key Temper (H14)	Notes
Tensile Strength (MPa)	~70–110	~120–160	O range is broad depending on processing; H14 provides practical mid-range strength
Yield Strength (MPa)	~25–45	~80–120	Yield increases strongly with cold work; yield/tensile ratios vary with temper
Elongation (%)	~30–45	~10–20	Ductility is excellent in O, reduced in H tempers
Hardness (HB)	~15–25	~30–45	Hardness scales with cold work and correlates to strength

Values provided are typical ranges for commercially produced sheet and plate; specific suppliers’ mill-anneal conditions, gauge and processing route will influence exact figures. Thickness and processing history are major determinants of final mechanical property spread, and property verification should use material certificates and coupon testing for critical applications.

Physical Properties

Property	Value	Notes
Density	2.70 g/cm³	Typical for near-pure aluminum alloys
Melting Range	660–660.5 °C	Near pure Al melting point; narrow melting range
Thermal Conductivity	~220–240 W/m·K (25°C)	Excellent thermal conductor; slightly reduced from absolute-purity values
Electrical Conductivity	~58–62 % IACS	High electrical conductivity supports conductor and contact applications
Specific Heat	~0.897 kJ/kg·K (897 J/kg·K)	High specific heat typical of aluminum
Thermal Expansion	~23 ×10⁻⁶ /K (20–100°C)	Moderate coefficient; important for thermal design and joining

1080’s physical properties make it desirable for thermal and electrical applications where conduction and mass efficiency are priorities. The combination of low density and high thermal conductivity yields good specific thermal conductance for heat-sink and heat-spreader uses. Electrical conductivity performance places 1080 among the better choices for busbars, connectors and low-voltage conductors when mechanical strength is not the primary driver.

Product Forms

Form	Typical Thickness/Size	Strength Behavior	Common Tempers	Notes
Sheet	0.15 mm – 6 mm	Strength varies with temper and gauge	O, H12, H14	Dominant form for drawing, stamping, and cladding
Plate	6 mm – 50+ mm	Thickness reduces cold-work efficiency	O, H111	Used where thicker sections or structural stiffness required
Extrusion	Profiles up to several meters	Limited by low alloy strength for high-load members	O, H12	Used for decorative profiles, enclosures, heat sinks
Tube	0.5 mm wall – large diameters	Mechanical properties depend on forming / drawing	O, H14	Common for low-pressure fluid or decorative applications
Bar/Rod	3 mm – 100 mm	Cold-drawn increases strength	O, H18	Used where machining to tight dimensions is required

Sheets and thin-gauge products are where 1080’s properties shine because formability and conductivity are preserved while cold work is easily applied for strength tuning. Plate and thicker products require more consideration because the ability to homogeneously cold work thicker sections is limited; thick sections are often supplied in softer tempers and rely on design features for stiffness. Extrusions and tubes are used when surface finish, conductivity and corrosion resistance are important and loading is moderate.

Equivalent Grades

Standard	Grade	Region	Notes
AA	1080	USA	Designation in the Aluminum Association system
EN AW	1080 / EN AW-1080	Europe	European AW designation for high-purity aluminum
JIS	A1080	Japan	Japanese Industrial Standard for commercially pure Al
GB/T	Al99.8 / 1080	China	Chinese standard for 99.8% purity aluminum

Equivalent grade labels across standards represent materially similar compositions but may vary slightly in permitted impurity limits, manufacturing practices, and mill-anneal conditions. Engineers should review specific standard tolerances and mill test reports for cross-standard substitution, particularly when electrical conductivity, surface condition or drawing performance are critical.

Corrosion Resistance

1080 exhibits excellent general atmospheric corrosion resistance due to the rapid formation of a stable, protective aluminum oxide film. In many environments it outperforms alloyed aluminum grades that contain higher levels of copper or zinc, which can sensitize alloys to localized corrosion. Surface finish and environmental contaminants (chlorides, industrial pollutants) affect long-term behavior, with polished or coated surfaces showing improved performance.

In marine settings 1080 performs well in terms of uniform corrosion, but like all aluminum it can be susceptible to pitting and crevice corrosion in stagnant chloride-rich environments unless protected. The alloy is generally less prone to stress corrosion cracking than high-strength age-hardenable alloys, but welded joints and cold-worked zones should be evaluated as potential sites for localized attack. Galvanic interactions make 1080 anodic to many common engineering metals such as copper and stainless steels, so electrical isolation or suitable coatings are recommended when dissimilar metals are paired.

Compared with 3xxx and 5xxx series alloys, 1080 often offers superior conductivity and comparable or better corrosion resistance due to minimal alloying additions, while it lacks the higher strength and weldability advantages that some 5xxx alloys provide. For long life in harsh chloride environments designers frequently prefer alloying or coatings, but for many architectural and electrical uses 1080’s innate corrosion behavior is fully adequate.

Fabrication Properties

Weldability

1080 is readily weldable by common fusion and resistance processes such as TIG and MIG because it is effectively pure aluminum with low levels of problematic elements. Recommended filler materials are commercially pure Al filler alloys (for example AA1100 series) or low-alloy fillers selected to match service and mechanical needs; silicon-bearing fillers (e.g., 4043/4047) are sometimes used to improve fluidity in complex joints. Hot-cracking risk is low compared with high-strength alloys, but joint fit-up and cleanliness are critical to avoid porosity and oxide entrapment; HAZ softening is minimal because there is little precipitation-hardenable microstructure.

Machinability

Machining 1080 is generally straightforward but requires attention to its low hardness and high ductility, which can produce long, continuous chips and stickiness on cutting edges. Tooling with sharp, positive rake carbide or high-speed steel geometries reduces built-up edge and improves surface finish; lower cutting forces allow high spindle speeds with moderate feed rates. Lubrication and effective chip control are important for the best surface integrity, and design for machining should account for the alloy’s tendency to gall when insufficient cutting clearance is provided.

Formability

Formability is a primary strength of 1080, especially in the O temper where deep drawing, spinning, bending and complex stretching operations are readily accomplished. Minimum bend radii can be small (on the order of 1–2 times material thickness for sheet depending on finish) and springback is modest, facilitating accurate formed geometry. Cold working provides a straightforward route to localized strengthening for formed parts, while annealing cycles are easy to apply to restore ductility after severe deformation.

Heat Treatment Behavior

As a commercially pure, non-heat-treatable alloy, 1080 does not respond to solution treatment and age-hardening in the way heat-treatable alloys do. Attempts to use T-type thermal treatments for precipitation strengthening are ineffective because there are no significant precipitate-forming species at useful concentrations. Typical metallurgical control relies on controlled annealing (to produce O temper) and strain hardening (H tempers) to tailor properties.

Work hardening is the primary method to increase strength and stiffness in service. Cold rolling, drawing or bending increases dislocation density and produces predictable increases in yield and tensile strength while decreasing elongation. Annealing at temperatures commonly between 300–415°C (depending on gauge and desired softness) will soften the alloy and restore ductility; full recrystallization anneals and mill-anneal cycles are used to set the baseline O temper for forming operations.

High-Temperature Performance

1080 loses mechanical strength rapidly with increasing temperature because its solid-solution strengthening is minimal and there are no stable high-temperature precipitates. Practical continuous-use service temperatures are typically limited to below approximately 150–200°C for structural applications, beyond which creep and strength loss become significant. Oxidation at moderate temperatures is slow due to the protective oxide film, but prolonged exposure at elevated temperatures can alter surface appearance and may affect subsequent coating or bonding processes.

Welded regions or heavily cold-worked areas can experience localized changes in mechanical properties at elevated temperatures; HAZs do not suffer significant precipitation effects but will show softening due to recovery and recrystallization if exposed to high heat. For high-temperature load-bearing applications, alloy families with stronger high-temperature behavior (e.g., certain 2xxx/7xxx alloys or alloys specifically designed for elevated temperature) are preferred.

Applications

Industry	Example Component	Why 1080 Is Used
Electrical	Busbars, connectors, conductors	High electrical conductivity and good formability
Automotive	Decorative trim, interior components	Excellent formability and surface finish; corrosion resistance
Marine	Tank liners, piping, low-load fittings	Corrosion resistance and weldability in seawater environments
Electronics	Heat sinks, EMI shields	High thermal conductivity and low density
Food & Chemical Processing	Tanks, piping, cladding	Purity and corrosion resistance with easy cleaning and forming

1080 finds use where high electrical or thermal conductivity, excellent formability and superior corrosion resistance are required simultaneously. Applications that involve complex stamping or drawing benefit from the alloy’s ductility, while conductor applications exploit the high IACS conductivity. The alloy is often specified when metallurgical purity or minimal alloy contamination is critical for downstream processes or product performance.

Selection Insights

Choose 1080 when electrical or thermal conductivity and exceptional formability outweigh the need for high strength. It is the logical choice for conductors, heat spreaders, and deep-drawn components where surface finish, corrosion resistance and ductility are the chief requirements.

Compared with commercially pure aluminum grades such as 1100, 1080 typically trades marginally higher purity (and therefore slightly higher conductivity) for similar formability; it is chosen when the extra conductivity or controlled impurity limits are required. Compared with work-hardened alloys like 3003 or 5052, 1080 offers superior conductivity and sometimes better corrosion behavior, but lower strength and lower strain hardening potential for load-bearing parts. Compared with heat-treatable alloys such as 6061 or 6063, 1080 is chosen when conductivity and formability are more important than peak strength; it remains attractive for applications where thermal/electrical performance and fabrication simplicity are priorities despite lower achievable strengths.

Closing Summary

1080 remains relevant in modern engineering because it combines very high purity with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, superior formability and reliable corrosion resistance in a cost-effective and easily fabricated package. For designers prioritizing conductivity, surface quality and manufacturability over high strength, 1080 is often the most practical and economical aluminum choice.