When you are looking into different metal alloys for a project, you must understand the properties of the different alloys and how they compare.
If you need a high-strength alloy good for projects that need a high strength-to-weight ratio and superior fatigue resistance, 2024 aluminum might be the right choice; it’s widely used in the aerospace industry and primarily found in airplane wings and fuselages. It also maintains its strength over a wide range of temperatures. This is a high-strength, lightweight alloy that is usually extruded, but it can also be found as plates and sheets.
2024 aluminum is alloyed with copper and is only weldable with friction welding. It does have decent machinability. Due to the addition of copper, this aluminum alloy has poor corrosion resistance. Due to this, it’s often clad with pure aluminum.
This high-strength lightweight aluminum alloy is also used in manufacturing truck wheels and other parts for heavy transport vehicles. Metal fatigue is the weakening of metal as it is exposed to loadbearing repeatedly over time. This makes it suitable not only for aircraft, but also for vehicles such as trucks and tractors.
However, if your project will require a lot of welding, this specialized alloy might not be right for your application; heat welding will weaken its strength, causing the metal to become brittle and susceptible to heat cracking as well as stress corrosion. The decision of which type of aluminum alloy to use on your project is critical, so do your research and choose wisely.
