2024 Aluminum – What You Need to Know

Posted by , on Nov, 2014

When buying aluminum, if it often comes down to a question of finding the right alloy for the right application. The aluminum alloy known as 2024 has some qualities that make it perfect for the aircraft industry.

The Basics of Aluminum in the 2024 Alloy
The 2024 alloy of aluminum was created in 1931 by Alcoa. It proved to be perfect for aircraft applications thanks to a variety of beneficial properties. It basically replaced 2017-T4 as an aircraft alloy, a purpose for which it is still used extensively today.

2024 aluminum has a number of useful properties, including strength, stiffness, and stress corrosion cracking resistance. Its resistance to shearing and ability to handle temperature extremes make it useful for the aircraft industry, but it is slightly limited by its average resistance to atmospheric corrosion, particularly in areas near the sea. This limit is overcome through alcladding.

Popular Types of 2024 Aluminum
This particular alloy of aluminum is generally available in plate form, with popular thicknesses ranging from .25 inches to six inches. It is also available in sheets. Sometimes it is bare, sometimes it is an alclad product, and it is used in its annealed state or in one of a variety of different tempers.

In addition to 2024 itself, there are a number of close variants derived from it that see extensive use. Both 2124 and 2324, for example, are alloys with higher purity that have slightly different characteristics, including greater strength. These variants are also often used in the aircraft industry for similar purposes as 2024.

Applications for the 2024 Alloy
The alloy 2024 has found a home for itself in the aircraft production industry, particularly in structural areas. It is often used for fuselages, ribs, wing tension members, wing skins and hydraulic manifolds. The alclad varieties, in particular, are popular for fuselage skins for both military and commercial aircraft. There are also some aircraft engine parts that are routinely made from 2024 aluminum.

Why 2024 is Perfect for Alcladding
The idea behind an alclad aluminum plate or sheet is basically that of an “aluminum sandwich” with the “bread” being pure aluminum, or at least an alloy that is very corrosion resistant, and the “meat” being an alloy with different beneficial properties. With 2024 as the middle of the alclad, the product will have impressive strength, rigidity and shear resistance to complement the qualities of the outer layers.

If you’re in the market for aluminum, including 2024, Howard Precision has the products you need.

 

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Posted by , on Nov, 2014

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