一、 Compositional differences
1. Aluminum: Aluminum is a metallic element with a purity of over 99.7%, chemical symbol Al, and atomic number 13. It contains almost no other impurities and is a very pure metal.
2. Aluminum alloy: Aluminum alloy is an alloy material with unique properties formed by adding alloying elements such as copper, magnesium, silicon, zinc, manganese, etc., with aluminum as the main element. The incorporation of these alloying elements aims to optimize the fundamental properties of aluminum, endowing it with diverse mechanical, physical, and chemical characteristics.
二、 Performance differences
1. Aluminum: Aluminum has extremely strong corrosion resistance, but due to its high purity and poor toughness, it is prone to deformation.
The density of aluminum is about 2.7g/cm ⊃3;, which is much lower than traditional metals such as iron and copper, and has the advantage of being lightweight.
Aluminum has excellent ductility and is easy to process into various shapes.
Aluminum has excellent thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, second only to gold, silver, and copper.
2. Aluminum alloy: Aluminum alloys usually have high strength and hardness because the added alloying elements enhance their lattice structure.
Aluminum alloys also have good corrosion resistance, especially alloys with added elements such as zinc and magnesium, such as 6061 aluminum alloy.
Aluminum alloy has strong toughness and is not easily deformed.
Although the electrical and thermal conductivity of aluminum alloy is not as good as pure aluminum in some aspects, it still maintains good performance.
三、 Differences in usage
1. Aluminum: Pure aluminum or low-alloy aluminum is mainly used in the power and electronics industry, such as wires, cables, aluminum foil, etc.
Aluminum is also commonly used to manufacture lightweight structures and containers, such as aluminum cans, aluminum boxes, etc.
2. Aluminum alloy: The application range of aluminum alloy is very wide, including aerospace, automotive manufacturing, construction industry, sports equipment and other fields.
Aluminum alloy can be used to manufacture various complex structures and components, such as aircraft structural components, automotive bodies, building profiles, etc.
四、 Price difference
Generally speaking, the price of aluminum alloy is relatively higher than that of aluminum. This is because the production process of aluminum alloy requires the addition of other alloying elements and complex alloying treatment processes, thereby increasing its cost.
In summary, there are significant differences between aluminum alloys and aluminum in terms of composition, properties, applications, and prices. Understanding these differences can help in selecting suitable materials for practical applications to achieve their optimal performance.