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What are the commonly used aluminum base materials? What’s the difference?

Best Technology has more than 14 year experience for producing Metal core PCB, we have our own raw materials factory for MCPCB and we fabricate MCPCB in Shenzhen, so that customer various special requirements can be meet here.

Compared to copper and stainless steel, aluminum is the most economic option considering thermal conductivity, rigidness, and cost. And many of these aluminum alloys base have been divided into classes, the commonly used on MCPCB are AL1060, AL3003, AL5052 and AL6061.

Do you know the differences between these substrates? This blog will give a brief introduction for you.

1060 alloys
AL1060 are commercially pure, unalloyed aluminum, it’s soft, ductile, workability and exceptional corrosion resistance, making it suitable for hard-forming applications. It can be welded with any method, but it cannot be heat-treated. Its cost is the lowest of the four types.

3003 alloys
AL3003 use silicon, copper, and magnesium as the main alloying elements, oftentimes with supplemental nickel and beryllium. They are heat treatable, have high strength, good resistance to cracking and wear, and have good machinability.

Mechanical PropertiesMetricEnglish
Ultimate Tensile Strength200 MPa29000 psi
Tensile Yield Strength186MPac
Shear Strength 110 MPa16000 psi
Modulus of Elasticity68.9GPa10000 ksi
Shear Modulus25 GPa3630 ksi

5052 alloys
AL5052 use magnesium as their primary alloying element and are not heat-treatable, but it’s the highest strength alloy of the more non-heat-treatable grades. Its resistance to fatigue is better than most grades of aluminum and have a great surface aesthetic when anodized.
In our company, if not special request or notes, the default material we use is AL5052 after considering all the performance and cost.

Mechanical PropertiesMetricEnglish
Ultimate Tensile Strength228 MPa33000 psipsi
Tensile Yield Strength193 MPa28000psi
Shear Strength138 MPa20000 psi
Modulus of Elasticity70.3GPa10200 ksi
GPaShear Modulus 25.9 GPa25.9 760 ksi


6061 alloys

Mechanical PropertiesMetricEnglish
Ultimate Tensile Strength310 MPa45000 psi
Tensile Yield Strength276 MPa40000 psi
Fatigue Strength207MPa30000 psi
Shear Strength96.5MPa14000 ksi
Modulus of Elasticity68.9 GPa10000 ksi
Shear Modulus26 GPa770 ksi

AL6061 implement magnesium with silicon as their principal alloying elements. Their strength is improved with heat treatment. AL6061 is one of the most widely used aluminum alloys, it has high strength and superior corrosion resistance. Its weld-ability and formability make it suitable for many general-purpose applications.

Cost Comparison: AL1060 < AL3003 < AL5052 < AL6061

If you have other questions about MCPCB, welcome to contact Tammy (Email:sales@bestpcbs.com), she will prove you professional suggestions and solutions.

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