Aluminum 6010: Composition, Properties, Temper Guide & Applications

Comprehensive Overview

6010 is a member of the 6xxx series aluminum alloys, which are primarily Al-Mg-Si systems designed for precipitation hardening. The 6xxx family combines moderate alloying with silicon and magnesium to enable heat-treatable strengthening while retaining good extrudability and surface finish options for architectural and industrial applications.

Major alloying elements in 6010 are silicon and magnesium with controlled additions of iron, copper and trace manganese, chromium and titanium to tailor strength, hardenability and grain structure. The strengthening mechanism is heat-treatable precipitation hardening (age hardening) where Mg2Si precipitates form during artificial aging and raise both yield and tensile strength compared with annealed states.

Key traits include a balance of moderate-to-high strength, good corrosion resistance in atmospheric environments, reasonable weldability when using appropriate filler alloys and acceptable formability in solution-treated and annealed tempers. Typical industries adopting 6010 include automotive bodies and structural components, building and architectural extrusions, light-weight transport and general fabrication where a compromise of formability and strength is required.

Engineers choose 6010 when a stronger, heat-treatable alternative to pure or work-hardened alloys is needed without the higher cost or lower formability of higher-strength 2xxx or 7xxx alloys. The alloy is selected for parts requiring post-forming age hardening, good dimensional stability after heat treatment, and consistent surface appearance for painted or anodized finishes.

Temper Variants

Temper	Strength Level	Elongation	Formability	Weldability	Notes
O	Low	High	Excellent	Excellent	Fully annealed condition; maximum ductility for forming.
H14	Low-Mid	Moderate	Good	Good	Light strain-hardened, retains formability and modest strength.
T4	Mid	Moderate-High	Good	Good	Solution heat treated and naturally aged; intermediate properties for forming then aging.
T5	Mid-High	Moderate	Fair-Good	Good	Cooled from hot working and artificially aged; ready for service after cooling.
T6	High	Low-Moderate	Limited when aged	Good	Solution heat treated + artificial aging; peak strength temper for many components.
T651	High	Low-Moderate	Limited when aged	Good	T6 with stress-relieved stretching or straightening; improved dimensional stability.

Heat treatment and cold work combinations strongly influence strength/ductility trade-offs in 6010. Annealed O tempers provide maximum formability for deep drawing and bending, while T6/T651 deliver the highest static strengths after aging but reduce bendability and elongation compared with O or H tempers.

Chemical Composition

Element	% Range	Notes
Si	0.4–1.2	Silicon promotes Mg2Si precipitation and improves extrudability.
Fe	0.2–0.7	Iron is an impurity that forms intermetallics; controls grain structure and machinability.
Mn	0.05–0.30	Manganese refines grain structure and can slightly improve strength.
Mg	0.4–0.9	Magnesium is a principal strengthening element through Mg2Si precipitates.
Cu	0.05–0.40	Copper increases strength and hardening response but may reduce corrosion resistance.
Zn	≤0.20	Zinc commonly kept low in 6xxx alloys; excessive Zn can raise sensitivity to SCC.
Cr	≤0.10	Chromium helps control grain growth during heat treatment and hot working.
Ti	≤0.15	Titanium acts as a grain refiner during casting and homogenization.
Others	≤0.15 total	Trace elements (e.g., Zr, B) used for grain control and property tuning.

The Mg and Si ratio controls the volume fraction and type of strengthening precipitates (Mg2Si); modest copper additions can shift precipitation kinetics and raise peak strength at the expense of some corrosion resistance. Iron and other residuals form coarse intermetallics that can influence toughness, surface finish and fatigue crack initiation behavior.

Mechanical Properties

Tensile behavior of 6010 shows classic age-hardening response: the annealed alloy is ductile with low yield strength, while T6/T651 tempers exhibit significant increases in yield and ultimate strength due to fine precipitate distributions. Yield-to-tensile ratios in peak-aged conditions are typical of 6xxx alloys, providing predictable elastic limits for structural sizing and allowing some margin for plastic deformation before failure.

Elongation and hardness are strongly temper-dependent; annealed conditions give high elongation suitable for stamping and deep drawing, whereas aged tempers reduce total elongation but increase hardness and static yielding. Fatigue performance correlates with surface condition, temper and thickness: fatigue life improves with smoother surfaces and in stronger tempers but can be limited by coarse intermetallics or machining marks that act as crack starters.

Thickness effects are important: thicker sections will cool more slowly during quench and may have less homogeneous hardness and strength after aging. Designers must account for reduced age-hardening efficiency in heavy sections and the corresponding effect on allowable stresses and fatigue life.

Property	O/Annealed	Key Temper (e.g., T6/T651)	Notes
Tensile Strength	100–150 MPa	280–340 MPa	T6 peak-aged values depend on exact composition and section thickness.
Yield Strength	40–90 MPa	240–300 MPa	Yield increases dramatically after solution treat and artificial aging.
Elongation	20–35%	8–15%	Elongation reduces with higher strength tempers; thin gauge tends to show higher ductility.
Hardness	30–45 HB (approx)	80–110 HB (approx)	Hardness correlates with tensile strength; reported values depend on measurement scale.

Physical Properties

Property	Value	Notes
Density	2.70 g/cm³	Typical for most wrought aluminum alloys; useful for mass/strength calculations.
Melting Range	~570–650 °C	Solidus/liquidus spread depends on alloying content and local segregation.
Thermal Conductivity	~150–170 W/m·K	Lower than pure Al but still good for heat-sinking relative to steels.
Electrical Conductivity	~35–45 % IACS	Reduced from pure aluminum due to alloying; acceptable for some conductor components.
Specific Heat	~0.90 kJ/kg·K (900 J/kg·K)	Standard aluminum heat capacity for thermal mass calculations.
Thermal Expansion	~23–24 µm/m·K	Typical coefficient for 6xxx alloys; consider for multi-material assemblies.

These physical properties make 6010 a useful structural alloy where light weight and thermal management are both considerations. The thermal conductivity and expansion are important for heat exchanger or electronic housing design and for predicting thermal stresses across joints and dissimilar materials.

Product Forms

Form	Typical Thickness/Size	Strength Behavior	Common Tempers	Notes
Sheet	0.3–6 mm	Uniform in thin gauges; ages well after quench	O, H14, T4, T5, T6	Common for panels, facades and stamped components.
Plate	6–50+ mm	Reduced age-hardening efficiency in thick sections	O, T6 (limited)	Thick plates require special thermal cycles to achieve uniform properties.
Extrusion	Complex profiles, up to large cross-sections	Good strength in extruded shapes after T6	T5, T6, T651	6xxx alloys excel in extrusion; dimensional control and surface quality are strong.
Tube	Standard tubing sizes	Similar to sheet in thin-wall tubes	O, T6	Used for structural tubing and lightweight framing.
Bar/Rod	Diameters from small to large	Solid sections age with some gradients	T6, T651	Bars used for machined fittings and structural fasteners.

Processing differences influence final properties: sheet and thin extrusions achieve more uniform and higher peak-aged strengths, while heavy plate and large cross-section extrusions may retain softer cores unless tailored thermal treatments are applied. Applications therefore choose form factor and temper together to meet strength, dimensional and surface requirements.

Equivalent Grades

Standard	Grade	Region	Notes
AA	6010	USA	Aluminium Association designation commonly used in North America.
EN AW	6010	Europe	EN AW-6010 often used in European supply chains; chemical limits align closely with AA.
JIS	A6010 (approx)	Japan	Japanese standards have similar compositions; check local JIS sheet/plate spec for tolerances.
GB/T	6010 (approx)	China	Chinese GB/T grades mirror AA/EN chemistry but tolerances and temper designations may vary.

Equivalent listings are often close but not identical; small differences in impurity limits, permitted trace additions and temper designation conventions can affect qualification for aerospace or regulatory use. Always cross-check mill certificates and regional standards for critical applications.

Corrosion Resistance

6010 offers good general atmospheric corrosion resistance typical of 6xxx Al-Mg-Si alloys, with natural passive behavior in non-aggressive environments. Surface treatments such as anodizing and conversion coatings further enhance resistance and are common for architectural and transport exteriors.

In marine or chloride-rich environments the alloy is reasonably resistant but can be susceptible to localized pitting and crevice corrosion if protective coatings are damaged. Compared with 5xxx magnesium-bearing work-hardened alloys, 6xxx alloys generally have slightly lower innate pitting resistance under severe chloride exposure.

Stress corrosion cracking susceptibility in 6010 is generally low relative to high-strength 2xxx and 7xxx alloys, but prolonged tensile stresses in corrosive environments can still pose a risk for susceptible tempers and heat-affected zones. Galvanic coupling with more noble metals (e.g., stainless steel, copper) places 6010 on the anodic side; isolation or cathodic protection should be used when dissimilar metals are joined.

Fabrication Properties

Weldability

6010 welds accept commonly used fusion processes such as MIG (GMAW) and TIG (GTAW) with appropriate filler alloys (e.g., other 6xxx or 5xxx/4xxx-based fillers depending on application). Hot-cracking risk is moderate and can be minimized by controlling weld heat input, joint design and filler selection; HAZ softening occurs because precipitation strengthening is disrupted by thermal cycles. Post-weld solution treatment and age-hardening may be required to restore peak temper properties for critical structural parts.

Machinability

Machinability of 6010 is fair to good compared with other wrought alloys; tool life and surface finish benefit from stable microstructure and appropriate temper (T6 parts are harder and require more robust tooling). Carbide tooling at moderate to high speeds with flood coolant produces predictable chips and surface integrity; heavy interrupted cuts can expose intermetallics that increase tool wear. Machinability index typically falls below free-machining Al alloys but above many stainless steels when measured by standard machinability metrics.

Formability

Formability is excellent in O and H tempers and acceptable in T4/T5 conditions before final aging. Bend radii should follow typical aluminum guidelines: minimum internal radius of 1–2× material thickness for mild tempers; larger radii are recommended for T6 to avoid cracking. Cold work increases strength (H tempers) but reduces ductility; where complex forming is required, form in O/T4 then perform solution heat treatment and artificial aging if peak strength is needed after forming.

Heat Treatment Behavior

For heat-treatable alloys like 6010, solution treatment is performed at temperatures typically in the 510–540 °C range (exact temperatures depend on section size) to dissolve Mg2Si into solid solution. Rapid quenching to room temperature suppresses precipitate formation and produces a supersaturated solid solution that is then artificially aged.

Artificial aging (T6) is performed at temperatures commonly between 150–180 °C for durations ranging from several hours to tens of hours to achieve peak-strength Mg2Si precipitate distributions. Overaging (higher temperature or longer time) coarsens precipitates, reducing yield strength but improving toughness and stress relaxation behavior. T temper transitions (e.g., T4 → T6) allow parts to be formed in softer tempers and then aged to lock in higher strength.

Non-heat-treatable behavior is limited because 6010 is designed for precipitation hardening; however, annealing (O) and controlled cold work (H-series) are still used for formability and dimensional control prior to heat treatment.

High-Temperature Performance

6010 loses significant strength with increasing temperature as precipitate shearing and matrix softening occurs; usable structural strength typically falls off above 150–200 °C. Creep resistance is limited compared with high-temperature alloys, so continuous service at elevated temperatures is not recommended without special qualification.

Oxidation in air is minimal at typical service temperatures due to aluminum’s protective oxide film, but prolonged exposure at elevated temperature can change surface emissivity and affect paint or coating adhesion. HAZ regions in welded components are particularly sensitive to thermal cycles; localized overaging and softening reduce creep and high-temperature strength near joints.

Applications

Industry	Example Component	Why 6010 Is Used
Automotive	Body panels, trim, structural extrusions	Good formability and post-forming age hardenability for strength and dent resistance
Marine	Structural members, housings	Balanced corrosion resistance and weight savings with acceptable strength
Aerospace	Secondary fittings, interior components	Strength-to-weight ratio and age-stable dimensions after heat treatment
Electronics	Enclosures, heat sinks	Thermal conductivity and machinability for housings and dissipative parts

6010 finds use where a designer needs an economical, heat-treatable alloy that can be formed and then aged to deliver useful structural strength while retaining good environmental resistance and surface finish options. Its versatility across sheet, extrusion and fabricated parts makes it attractive for multi-process manufacture.

Selection Insights

Choose 6010 when the design requires the combination of post-forming strength and good surface quality, especially for extruded or stamped parts that will be age-hardened after forming. It is a practical choice when peak strength requirements are moderate but dimensional stability after heat treatment and a good finish are important.

Compared with commercially pure aluminum (1100), 6010 trades higher tensile and yield strength for somewhat lower electrical conductivity and slightly reduced formability, making it preferable where structural performance matters. Versus work-hardened alloys like 3003/5052, 6010 offers higher achievable strength after aging at the cost of more process complexity (solution treatment and aging) and marginally lower corrosion resistance in some chloride environments. Against common heat-treatable alloys such as 6061 or 6063, 6010 is chosen when specific extrusion/formability or aging response is required; it can be preferred for particular profile qualities or where its chemistry produces better surface appearance or thermal behavior despite similar or slightly lower peak strength.

Closing Summary

6010 remains a relevant 6xxx-series alloy for modern engineering where a balance of formability, age-hardening capability and corrosion resistance is required. Its adaptability across sheet, extrusion and fabricated parts, together with predictable heat-treatment responses, makes it a reliable choice for structural and aesthetic components in automotive, marine, architectural and light aerospace applications.