3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing is a seamless tubing made from 3003 aluminum alloy using a cold drawing process.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing is a widely used manganese alloy forged product with excellent corrosion resistance, good formability, moderate strength, and outstanding thermal conductivity. Its chemical composition is approximately: aluminum (by weight) 96.7–99%, manganese (by weight) 1.0–1.5%, copper (by weight) 0.05–0.20%, and iron, silicon, zinc, and other elements, with total content below 0.7% (total ≤ 0.15%).

Due to its balanced strength, formability, and corrosion resistance, 3003 drawn aluminum tubing is widely used in industrial and structural applications.

3003 Aluminum Tubing is supplied in cold-drawn seamless form and is usually strain hardened to temper states such as H14, H16, or H18 to achieve a balance between ductility and strength; if necessary, it can be annealed at 415°C to return to the fully soft “O” condition. It has high recyclability, can be welded using GMAW/GTAW processes, and offers strict manufacturing tolerances, making it ideal for high-demand applications such as heat exchangers, condensers, and architectural decorative tubing.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Material Characteristics

Alloy Type: Belongs to the AL-Mn series anti-rust aluminum alloy, with main components including aluminum (balance), manganese (1.0–1.5%), copper (0.05–0.20%), etc.
Corrosion Resistance: Close to industrial pure aluminum, offering good corrosion resistance in atmospheric conditions, fresh water, seawater, and organic acids, though there may be a tendency for exfoliation corrosion in cold-deformed conditions.
Workability: High plasticity in the annealed condition, suitable for deep drawing, spinning, and other forming processes; excellent weldability, but relatively poor machinability.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Chemical Composition

Major Alloying Elements

Aluminum (Al): 96.7 – 99 wt%, balance
Manganese (Mn): 1.0 – 1.5 wt% (primary strengthening element)
Copper (Cu): 0.05 – 0.20 wt% (improves machinability)
Iron (Fe), Silicon (Si), Zinc (Zn): each ≤ 0.7 / 0.6 / 0.1 wt%
Others: Total ≤ 0.15 wt%

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Temper

3003 alloy is non-heat treatable and achieves strength through cold working. Common tempers include:

O (Soft): Fully annealed to achieve maximum ductility
H14, H16, H18: Strengthened by strain hardening; for example, H14 is partially annealed, providing moderate strength and good formability.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Mechanical Properties by Temper

3003 tubing is available in two primary tempers:

3003 O Drawn Aluminum Tubing

Tensile Strength: 16–22 ksi (110–152 MPa).
Yield Strength: 6–21 ksi (40–145 MPa).
Elongation: 20–30% (high ductility).

3003 H14 Drawn Aluminum Tubing

Tensile Strength: 22–28 ksi (152–193 MPa).
Yield Strength: 21–23 ksi (145–160 MPa).
Elongation: 4–16% (moderate flexibility with increased strength).

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Specifications and Dimensions

Standards: ASTM B210 (general use), AMS 4065, AMS 4067 (aerospace), AMS-WWT-700/2 (military use).
Outer Diameter (OD): 3/16 inch – 4 inches (imperial) or 10 mm – 120 mm (metric).
Wall Thickness: 0.022 inch – 0.083 inch (imperial) or 0.5 mm – 25 mm (metric).
Length: Up to 40 meters (customizable).
Surface Finish: Smooth, with optional anodizing or powder coating.
Tolerance: Diameter and wall thickness tolerances as tight as ±0.05 mm for H14/H16/H18 materials.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Manufacturing Process

Cold Drawing and Seamless Tubing

3003 tubing is produced by cold drawing or rolling from seamless billets, resulting in uniform wall thickness and excellent surface finish. Compared to extruded or welded tubes, drawn tubing offers tighter dimensional tolerances and higher straightness.

Annealing

To restore to the O condition, tubing should be annealed at approximately 415 °C until a uniform temperature is reached, followed by cooling at any rate; this restores ductility for further forming operations.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Welding and Fabrication

3003 tubing offers excellent weldability using standard methods, with GMAW (MIG) and GTAW (TIG) processes providing optimal mechanical integrity and surface quality.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing Applications

Heat exchangers and condensers: Widely used in HVAC systems, automotive radiators, and chemical processing equipment, featuring rapid heat transfer and corrosion resistance.
Pressure vessels and piping: Suitable for low-pressure chemical and food-grade containers; non-toxic and easy to clean.
Aerospace and structural components: Used for lightweight and easily formable non-critical structural parts, piping, and housings.
Architecture and decoration: Due to its surface quality and anodizing properties, applicable for railings, decor, furniture frames, and decorative tubing.
General industry: Low-pressure pipelines, liquid/gas transmission piping, heat exchangers, containers, etc.
Transportation: Automotive fuel tanks, heat sinks, marine components.
Automotive: Radiators, fuel lines, and hydraulic systems.
Construction: Roofing, wall panels, and structural frameworks.
Medical/consumer products: Oxygen systems, telescoping poles, and outdoor equipment.

Advantages and Limitations of 3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing

Advantages of 3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing

Formability: Excellent drawability, capable of forming complex shapes.
Weldability: Accepts all common welding and brazing methods.
Recyclability: High scrap value and environmentally friendly.

Limitations of 3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing

Moderate strength: Lower tensile/yield strength compared to 5xxx and 6xxx series alloys.
Non-heat treatable: Strength cannot be increased through solution heat treatment; relies solely on work hardening.

3003 drawn aluminum tubing combines excellent corrosion resistance, formability, thermal properties, and cost-effectiveness, making it suitable for a wide range of industrial, construction, and HVAC applications.

Advantages Over Other Alloys

Formability: Easier to form than 6061 or 7075 alloys.
Weight: Lighter than steel with a comparable strength-to-weight ratio.
Cost-effectiveness: Lower production cost due to machinability and recyclability.

3003 drawn aluminum tubing is a versatile, corrosion-resistant alloy ideal for applications requiring lightweight, durable, and easily manufacturable materials. It meets aerospace (AMS) and industrial (ASTM) standards, ensuring reliability across industries.

Special Advantages

Compared to 1XXX series pure aluminum, 3003 aluminum alloy offers higher strength while maintaining good formability.
No need for anodizing treatment (as post-oxidation color is uneven), suitable for environments with less stringent appearance requirements.

3003 Drawn Aluminum Tubing, with its balanced strength, corrosion resistance, and processing performance, is widely used in multi-industry low-pressure fluid transmission and structural support scenarios.