Description:This article discusses the composition, structures, properties, and
behaviors of aluminum alloys and explains how they correspond to
specific alloying elements. It begins with an overview of the general
characteristics of wrought and cast aluminum alloys, the four-digit
classification system by which they are defined, and the applications
for which they are suited. It then explains how primary alloying
elements, second-phase constituents, and impurities affect yield
strength, phase formation, and grain size and how they induce structural
changes that help refine certain alloys. The article also explains how
primary alloying elements affect corrosion and wear behaviors and how
they influence fabrication processes such as forming, forging, welding,
brazing, and soldering.