Alloy series
5xxx Series — Aluminum–Magnesium
The marine series. Magnesium buys strength and seawater resistance without heat treatment.
Properties
5xxx — Traits and Typical Uses
| Common grades | 5005 · 5052 · 5083 · 5086 · 5182 · 5251 · 5754 · 5A06 |
|---|---|
| Key traits | Excellent marine corrosion resistance · Good weldability · Work-hardenable · Higher strength than 3xxx |
| Typical uses | Ship hull · Vehicle body · Pressure vessel · Offshore platform · Cryogenic tank |
| Heat treatable | No — strengthened by work hardening (H tempers) |
Every grade
All 8 Grades in the 5xxx Series
The series tells you the alloying element. The grade tells you how much of it, and that is what decides strength, corrosion behaviour and price. Grades with a detail page carry composition limits and temper-by-temper mechanicals.
| Grade | What it is for | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 5005 | Lower magnesium than 5052; anodizes to a closer match with 6xxx trim. | On request |
| 5052 | The default marine and general sheet grade: strong, weldable, seawater resistant. | Specs → |
| 5083 | Hull plate — highest magnesium of the common grades, marine tempers to ASTM B928. | Specs → |
| 5086 | Slightly less magnesium than 5083 for better formability at similar marine performance. | On request |
| 5182 | High magnesium for can ends and tab stock, where formability and strength both matter. | On request |
| 5251 | Mid-magnesium grade common on UK and European fabrication drawings. | On request |
| 5754 | European automotive and rail sheet; forms and welds more easily than 5083. | Specs → |
| 5A06 | Chinese-registry Al-Mg grade close to 5083, seen on domestic marine drawings. | On request |
A grade without a detail page is still quotable — the range, temper and certificate are confirmed on the offer rather than published as a table.
Specifying
How a 5xxx Order Is Written
Four things decide whether the material that arrives is the material you meant. None of them is the alloy number, which is usually the only thing on the enquiry.
1 — Temper, not just grade
The suffix sets the mechanical condition and changes strength more than the alloy does. This series is work hardened, so state the H temper and the degree: H12, H14, H18, or H32 where it is also stabilized. O means fully annealed and is a different material in behaviour.
2 — The product standard
ASTM, EN and GB do not have identical tolerance tables. Name the standard on the purchase order — 5xxx material supplied to a different edition can be perfectly good metal and still fail your incoming inspection.
3 — Thickness and its tolerance band
Nominal thickness is not the delivered thickness. State the band you can accept, especially near the sheet-plate boundary at 6.35 mm, where the product changes from cold-rolled sheet to hot-rolled plate.
4 — Certificate type
EN 10204 2.2 is a statement against general production; 3.1 carries the actual test values for your heat and is signed by an inspection representative independent of production. Say which one your file needs before the order is placed.
Choose
How 5xxx Compares
Choose 5xxx when
Ship hull · Vehicle body · Pressure vessel · Offshore platform · Cryogenic tank
Think again if
You need an anodized architectural finish or a complex extrusion — 6xxx is the right series.
Other series
- 1xxx — Commercial Pure AluminumExcellent formability · Excellent corrosion resistance · High thermal/electrical conductivity · Non-heat-treatable
- 2xxx — Aluminum–CopperHigh strength after heat treatment · Good machinability · Poor corrosion resistance bare · Weldability varies
- 3xxx — Aluminum–ManganeseGood formability & weldability · Better strength than 1xxx · Excellent corrosion resistance · Non-heat-treatable
- 6xxx — Aluminum–Magnesium–SiliconHeat-treatable (T5/T6) · Excellent extrudability · Good weldability · Excellent anodizing response
- 7xxx — Aluminum–ZincHighest strength · Heat-treatable · Lower corrosion resistance (stress corrosion risk) · Requires EN 10204 3.1
- 8xxx — Aluminum–Other (Foil & Special)High elongation · Low pinhole count · Clean surface · Non-heat-treatable
What goes wrong
Failure Modes That Show Up in 5xxx
These are the defects we get called about on this series, what causes them, and what to put on the order so they do not happen. Each page covers cause, measurement and specification.
- Pinholes in Aluminum FoilWhy aluminum foil gets pinholes: melt cleanliness, rolling oil filtration and thin gauge. How pinhole count is measured under ASTM B479 and GB/T 3198.
- Camber and Wavy Edge in Sheet & CoilWhy aluminum sheet and coil show camber or wavy edge, how it is measured under EN 485 and ASTM B209, and what to specify to keep it off your automatic line.
- Weld Cracking & Sensitization in 5xxx PlateWhy 5083 aluminum plate cracks or corrodes in service: Sensitization above 65°C, H116 vs H32 temper, filler wire choice, and the ASTM G67 test to specify.
- All eight failure modes →Symptom, cause, measurement, and the line to add to the order
Not Sure Between Two Grades?
Send the end use and the environment, and we will say which one we would run — including when the answer is "neither".
Ask for a Grade Recommendation