2024 T3 Aluminum Round Tube
The 2024 T3 aluminum alloy round tube is a high-strength material with excellent corrosion resistance, widely used in the aerospace industry, particularly in aircraft fuselages, wings, engine components, and other critical structures that require high strength and fatigue resistance. This aluminum alloy belongs to the high-strength aluminum alloy series, and its mechanical properties are enhanced through solution heat treatment and artificial aging (T3 condition).
2024 T3 Aluminum Round Tube Processing
- Solution Heat Treatment: The 2024 aluminum alloy is first heated to a solution treatment temperature, dissolving some of the strengthening phases in the alloy to form a homogeneous solid solution.
- Work Hardening: Plastic deformation is introduced through cold working (such as extrusion, stretching, etc.), which stresses the crystal lattice and enhances the hardness and strength of the metal.
- Artificial Aging: The alloy is heated to a specific temperature (typically around 150°C), causing the strengthening phases to precipitate out, thereby increasing the strength and hardness of the alloy.
This processing ensures that the 2024 T3 aluminum alloy achieves maximum strength and hardness, making it ideal for use in high-performance fields such as aerospace.
2024 T3 Aluminum Round Tube Properties
- High Strength: The 2024 T3 aluminum alloy has very high tensile and yield strength, making it suitable for applications that require high load and pressure resistance. It outperforms other aluminum alloys in terms of strength.
- Fatigue Resistance: The alloy exhibits outstanding fatigue resistance, maintaining excellent structural stability and long service life under cyclic loading conditions.
- Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Although the 2024 aluminum alloy has average corrosion resistance in marine environments, its corrosion resistance in aerospace and dry environments is exceptional, making it suitable for long-term exposure to air without significant corrosion.
- Workability: The 2024 T3 aluminum alloy is relatively easy to machine, and conventional machining operations such as milling and drilling can be performed. However, due to its higher hardness, it is important to adjust tooling and process parameters when cutting.
- Weight-to-Strength Ratio: With its high strength, the 2024 T3 aluminum alloy offers an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, making it especially suitable for applications in aerospace where weight control is crucial.
2024 T3 Aluminum Round Tube Applications
- Aerospace: The 2024 T3 aluminum alloy round tube is widely used in the aerospace industry, primarily for aircraft fuselages, wings, structural frames, support beams, control surfaces, landing gear, and related components. Its high strength and fatigue resistance make it ideal for critical load-bearing parts of aircraft that face demanding operational conditions.
- Military and Space: The 2024 T3 aluminum alloy round tube is also commonly used in military aircraft and spacecraft structural components, especially in areas that have stringent requirements for high strength and weight control. Due to its excellent mechanical properties, it is suitable for high-performance missile and space vehicle frames and support structures.
- High-Performance Structural Components: Beyond aerospace, the 2024 T3 aluminum tube is used in other high-strength applications, such as racing cars and extreme sports equipment.
Although the 2024 T3 aluminum alloy has high strength, it is not suitable for arc welding or gas welding, as cracks or a reduction in strength may occur during welding. It is recommended to use spot welding, seam welding, or flash welding methods to ensure welding quality and avoid excessive heat-affected zones.
The 2024 T3 aluminum alloy round tube, with its excellent strength, fatigue resistance, and good corrosion resistance, is widely used in aerospace, military, and other high-strength applications. Its high-strength properties after solution heat treatment and artificial aging make it an ideal material for applications that bear high loads, pressures, and dynamic forces. However, it is important to select the appropriate welding method to avoid strength degradation during welding.
2024 T3 Aluminum Round Tube Chemical Composition
| Element | Percentage |
| Al | 93.5 |
| Cr | 0.1 max |
| Cu | 3.8 - 4.9 |
| Fe | 0.5 max |
| Mg | 1.2 - 1.8 |
| Mn | 0.3 - 0.9 |
| Si | 0.5 max |
| Ti | 0.15 max |
| Zn | 0.25 max |
More Information on 2024 T3 Aluminum
| Physical Properties | Metric | English | Comments |
| Density | 2.78 g/cc | 0.1 lb/in³ | AA; Typical |
| 2024 T3 Aluminum Mechanical Properties | |||
| Hardness, Brinell | 120 | 120 | AA; Typical; 500 g load; 10 mm ball |
| Hardness, Knoop | 150 | 150 | Converted from Brinell Hardness Value |
| Hardness, Rockwell A | 46.8 | 46.8 | Converted from Brinell Hardness Value |
| Hardness, Rockwell B | 75 | 75 | Converted from Brinell Hardness Value |
| Hardness, Vickers | 137 | 137 | Converted from Brinell Hardness Value |
| Ultimate Tensile Strength | 483 MPa | 70000 psi | AA; Typical |
| Tensile Yield Strength | 345 MPa | 50000 psi | AA; Typical |
| Elongation at Break | 18 % | 18 % | AA; Typical; 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) Thickness |
| Modulus of Elasticity | 73.1 GPa | 10600 ksi | AA; Typical; Average of tension and compression. Compression modulus is about 2% greater than tensile modulus. |
| Notched Tensile Strength | 379 MPa | 55000 psi | 2.5 cm width x 0.16 cm thick side-notched specimen, Kt = 17. |
| Ultimate Bearing Strength | 855 MPa | 124000 psi | Edge distance/pin diameter = 2.0 |
| Bearing Yield Strength | 524 MPa | 76000 psi | Edge distance/pin diameter = 2.0 |
| Poisson's Ratio | 0.33 | 0.33 | |
| Fatigue Strength | 138 MPa | 20000 psi | AA; 500, 000, 000 cycles completely reversed stress; RR Moore machine/specimen |
| Machinability | 70 % | 70 % | 0-100 Scale of Aluminum Alloys |
| Shear Modulus | 28 GPa | 4060 ksi | |
| Shear Strength | 283 MPa | 41000 psi | AA; Typical |
| 2024 T3 Aluminum Electrical Properties | |||
| Electrical Resistivity | 5.82e-006 ohm-cm | 5.82e-006 ohm-cm | AA; Typical at 68°F |
| 2024 T3 Aluminum Thermal Properties | |||
| CTE, linear 68°F | 23.2 µm/m-°C | 12.9 µin/in-°F | AA; Typical; Average over 68-212°F range. |
| CTE, linear 250°C | 24.7 µm/m-°C | 13.7 µin/in-°F | Average over the range 20-300ºC |
| Specific Heat Capacity | 0.875 J/g-°C | 0.209 BTU/lb-°F | |
| Thermal Conductivity | 121 W/m-K | 840 BTU-in/hr-ft²-°F | AA; Typical at 77°F |
| Melting Point | 502 - 638 °C | 935 - 1180 °F | AA; Typical range based on typical composition for wrought products 1/4 inch thickness or greater. Eutectic melting is not eliminated by homogenization. |
| Solidus | 502 °C | 935 °F | AA; Typical |
| Liquidus | 638 °C | 1180 °F | AA; Typical |
| 2024 T3 Aluminum Processing Properties | |||
| Annealing Temperature | 413 °C | 775 °F | |
| Solution Temperature | 256 °C | 493 °F | |
