Aluminum alloys have numerous technical advantages that made
them one of the dominant structural material families of the
20th century. Aluminum has low density (2.71 g/cm3)
compared with competitive metallic alloy systems. It also has
good inherent corrosion resistance because of the continuous,
protective oxide film that forms very quickly in the air, and
good workability that enables aluminum and its alloys to be
economically rolled, extruded, or forged into useful shapes.
In this article standardized terms and products made from
aluminum alloys are described.
Profiles
Profile, section, shape: Wrought product, usually
extruded, of uniform cross-section along its whole length and
with a cross-section other than rod/bar, wire, tube, sheet or
strip. They are usually supplied in straight lengths but
sometimes in coiled form. Depending on the form of the
cross-section, it can be called solid profile or hollow
profile.
Extruded profile: Profile brought to final dimensions
by extrusion.
Solid profile, solid section, solid shape: Profile in
which the cross-section does not include any enclosed void.
Hollow profile, hollow section, hollow shape: Profile
in which the cross-section includes either one enclosed void,
provided that the cross-section is other than a tube, or
more than one enclosed void.
Precision profile: Profile, which fulfils special
requirements concerning tolerances on form and dimensions.
Rods/bars
Rod/bar: Solid wrought product of uniform
cross-section along its whole length, supplied in straight
lengths. Cross-sections are in the shape of circles, oval,
squares, rectangles, equilateral triangles or regular
polygons. Products with a square, rectangular, triangular or
polygonal cross-section can have corners rounded along their
whole length.
Extruded rod / bar: Rod or bar brought to final
dimensions by extrusion.
Cold-drawn rod / bar: Rod or bar brought to final
dimensions by cold drawing.
Brazing rod: Rod made of a low melting temperature
alloy for use as filler metal in brazing.
Filler rod, welding rod: Rod for use as filler metal
in joining by welding.
Square rod/bar: Rod or bar of a square cross- section.
Rectangular rod/bar: Rod or bar of a rectangular
cross-section. The thickness of these rods exceeds one-tenth
of the width. The term "rectangular rod/bar" includes
"flattened circles" and "modified rectangles" of which two
opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being
straight, of equal length and parallel.
Hexagonal rod/bar: rod or bar having the cross-section
of a regular hexagon.
Wire
Wire: Wrought product of uniform cross-section along
its whole length, supplied in coiled form. Cross-sections are
in the shape of circles, ovals, squares, rectangles,
equilateral triangles or regular polygons. Products with a
square, rectangular, triangular, or polygonal cross-section
can have corners rounded along their whole length.
The thickness of rectangular wires exceeds one-tenth of the
width. Wire in the upper thickness range is often called
"coiled rod". The term "rectangular wire" includes
"flattened circles" and "modified rectangles", of which two
opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being
straight, of equal length and parallel.
Drawing stock: Semi-finished solid wrought product of
uniform cross-section along its whole length supplied in
coils of a quality suitable to drawing into wire.
Cross-sections are approximately round, triangular or
regular polygonal with dimensions usually exceeding 7 mm.
Conductor wire: Wire possessing the requisite
electrical and mechanical properties for use as an electrical
conductor.
Filler wire, welding wire: Wire for use as filler
metal in joining by welding.
Flattened wire: Wire produced by flattening round wire
between rolls or by drawing through a die with flat opening.
Brazing wire: Wire of a low melting temperature alloy
for use as filler metal in brazing.
Tubes
Tube: Hollow wrought product of uniform cross-section
with only one enclosed void along its whole length, and with
a uniform wall thickness, supplied in straight lengths or in
coiled form. Cross-sections are in the shape of circles,
ovals, squares, rectangles, equilateral triangles or regular
polygons and can have corners rounded along their whole
length, provided the inner and outer cross-sections are
concentric and have the same form and orientation. Tubes can
also be formed by piercing and by forming and joining sheet
or strip.
Extruded tube: Tube brought to final dimensions by
extrusions.
Drawn tube: Tube brought to final dimensions by cold
drawing.
Porthole/bridge tube: Tube produced by extrusion of a
solid billet through a porthole or bridge die. This tube is
characterized by one or more seams formed by longitudinal
bonding of two or more edges under pressure.
Seamless tube: Tube in which longitudinal bonding of
edges is made by pressure, fusion or mechanical interlocking.
Welded tube: Tube formed from plate, sheet or strip
with the abutting edges automatically welded.
Seam welded tube: Welded tube fabricated using filler
wire.
H.F. seam welded tube: Welded tube fabricated from
strip by use of H.F. current without filler wire.
Tube stock: Semi-finished tube suitable for the
production of drawn tube.