6082 aluminum
Temper, profile/plate distinctions, thickness-specific properties, processing, and service-qualification boundaries for wrought 6082 aluminum.
Tags: materials, aluminum, heat-treatable, aluminum-magnesium-silicon
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Identity and material condition
Hydro's European 6082-T6 open-profile minima are 250 MPa proof and 290 MPa tensile at t ≤ 5 mm, versus 260/310 MPa at 5 < t ≤ 25 mm. Where a profile spans both bands, the lower values govern the whole section. Hollow profiles use separate thickness bands. Hydro Rev. 4, EN 755-2:2016 table
6082 is a wrought aluminum-magnesium-silicon-manganese alloy designation. The Aluminum Association's December 2025 Teal Sheets register 0.7–1.3% silicon, 0.6–1.2% magnesium, and 0.40–1.0% manganese by mass, with aluminum as the remainder and limits on other elements. This composition identity does not establish a temper, section geometry, finish, mechanical requirement, or approval for a finished component. Aluminum Association 6082 registration
Temper and product route
The Australian Aluminium Council's Rolled Products Manual, January 2024, distinguishes T4 solution treatment followed by natural aging, T5 cooling from elevated-temperature shaping followed by artificial aging, and T6 solution treatment followed by artificial aging. The route matters as well as the final strength. Thermal processing must follow the applicable procedure rather than an assumed universal aging recipe. AAC temper definitions, pp. 10–11
Alumeco's bars/profiles trading document separately lists extruded 6082 T6511/T6 and drawn 6082 T6, alongside different dimensional-standard families for extrusion and drawing. It also requires cast-number marking within its stated supply terms. This is an example of a supplier's procurement definition, not a universal marking or tolerance requirement. Alumeco trading document, 6082 entry
Preserve the complete supplied designation through cutting and processing. T651 rolled plate and T6511 extrusion should remain distinct records. If forming or welding changes the material condition, acceptance must address the final part rather than relying only on the incoming certificate.
Extrusion minima depend on shape and wall thickness
Hydro's extruded-products data sheet, Rev. 4, March 2023, identifies these T6 values as minima according to its cited EN 755-2:2016 basis. The two elongation columns have different gauge-length definitions and must not be merged. Hydro 6082 extrusion properties and footnotes
| Profile and wall thickness t | Rp0.2 | Rm | A | A50mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open profile, t ≤ 5 mm | 250 MPa | 290 MPa | 8% | 6% |
| Open profile, 5 < t ≤ 25 mm | 260 MPa | 310 MPa | 10% | 8% |
| Hollow profile, 5 < t ≤ 15 mm | 260 MPa | 310 MPa | 10% | 8% |
Hydro states that when one profile contains thicknesses falling into different property sets, the lowest specified value applies to the whole section. Its hardness values are informational, with Vickers values converted from Brinell and approximate. Hydro property-table qualifications
Rolled plate and typical values
GLEICH's T651 rolled-plate sheet, dated 3 May 2024, explicitly labels its data typical at room temperature. It lists yield strength 240–260 MPa, tensile strength 295–310 MPa, elongation A50 7–10%, density 2.70 g/cm³, and modulus 70 GPa. Its stated standard plate thickness range is 20–80 mm. These typical ranges cannot replace a specification's thickness- and direction-specific acceptance minima. GLEICH 6082 T651 data and footnote 1
Hydro's ACC-U-PLATE brochure, Rev. 10/25, supplies a different named product: extruded wide bar. Its 6082 T6/T6511 longitudinal table lists 45 ksi minimum ultimate, 38 ksi minimum yield, and 8% minimum elongation, with a dimensional footnote applying that 6082 entry to 0.751–6.000-inch thickness. Matching the alloy or a plate-like shape does not erase the product-specific scope. Hydro ACC-U-PLATE comparative properties and footnotes
Illustrative conversion: 38 ksi × 6.894757 = approximately 262.0 MPa. This converts the cited product's minimum yield figure; it does not turn it into a universal 6082 minimum or authorize rounding a contractual limit into another unit system.
Forming, machining, and appearance
Alumeco's undated profile data sheet rates bending as dependent on temper and warns that decorative anodizing can be challenging. It cites extrusion-specific mechanical and dimensional standards rather than plate requirements. A good machinability or corrosion rating is not proof that a particular shape will bend without cracking, remain flat after machining, or achieve uniform decorative color. Alumeco 6082 profiles: processing and finish guidance
Qualify the actual stock condition, thickness, direction, tooling, and sequence. Inspect representative formed parts for cracks, springback, thinning, and surface marks as applicable. When a softer forming condition precedes later heat treatment, include final dimensions and properties in acceptance. For machined parts, preserve orientation, clamping and material-removal strategy, and final inspection conditions. Approve a representative finish sample when appearance is a drawing requirement.
Joining and thermal exposure
ESAB's September 19, 2024 HAZ guidance explains that welding heat changes the strengthened condition of heat-treatable aluminum through thermal effects including partial annealing and overaging. Assess weld metal, HAZ, and unaffected stock separately. Do not apply a parent-stock T6 tensile value unchanged across a welded assembly or assume aging alone restores every joint to its original condition. ESAB heat-treatable alloy HAZ explanation
Choose the joint procedure and consumable for the actual mating alloys, geometry, service, strength/ductility, finish, and any post-weld treatment. A supplier's favorable weldability rating does not establish code acceptance, fatigue life, or leak tightness.
GLEICH's long/short temperature entries of 120/160°C carry a specific qualification: without loss of strength after cooling down. They are not loaded-service allowable stresses at those temperatures. Its surface guidance also limits optical expectations for anodizing. Preserve those qualifications rather than extracting a temperature or finish rating by itself. GLEICH footnotes 3–4
Service and release boundaries
Hydro's fatigue example is explicitly informational, from a specific sample: flat specimens tested at 20 ± 2°C, under axial constant-amplitude loading with stated stress ratios. It is not a guaranteed fatigue curve for every 6082 component or welded joint. Hydro fatigue-example conditions
Evaluate the actual load spectrum, notches, environment, surface, and inspection basis. Similarly, general atmospheric or marine application descriptions do not establish compatibility with every fluid, crevice, or mating metal. Retain material lot, complete specification, manufacturing route, service requirements, and final inspection results. Resolve changes in alloy, temper, gauge, or product form before release.