Engineers in the general industrial and automation industry are always confused about the difference between extruded aluminum 6063T5 and 6063T6. Their processing, properties, and prices are all different, and which material is suitable for their production application? The aluminum extrusion manufacturer FONNOV ALUMINIUM gives you a brief introduction and comparison on the difference between the 6063T5 aluminum extrusion profile and the 6063T6 aluminum extrusion profile.
- T5 Temper is a high-temperature forming + artificial aging. It is cooled by a high-temperature molding process and then subjected to a plastic aging state.
- T6 Temper is solution heat treatment + artificial aging. After the solution heat treatment, the state of artificial aging is performed.
Below are the mechanical properties of 6063T5 aluminum extrusion profiles and 6063T6 aluminum extrusion profiles.
| Aluminium Alloy & Temper | Thickness mm | Tensile Strength Rm/Mpa | Yield Strength Rp0.2/Mpa | Elongation /% A | HBW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6063-T5 | ≤3.00 | 175 | 130 | – | 65 |
| >3.00-25.00 | 160 | 110 | 7 | 65 | |
| 6063-T6 | ≤3.00 | 215 | 170 | – | 75 |
| >3.00-25.00 | 195 | 160 | 8 | 75 |
✣The tested value is Min.
Although the two tempers are different in definition, there is not much difference between the 6063 aluminum, but mainly reflected in the difference in mechanical properties. The 6063T5 aluminum extrusion profile is generally air-cooled and naturally cooled during quenching in production. The 6063T6 aluminum extrusion profile is cooled by water to cool the aluminum material instantaneously so that the aluminum profile can reach higher hardness requirements. T6 temper is apparent with more top mechanical properties in strength, elongation, and hardness, and its process price is also higher than the cost of T5 temper process.
Considering the usage of your final product, if the material requirement on strength and hardness are relatively high, the 6063T6 aluminum extrusion can be selected, and if no particular need on strength and hardness, the 6063T5 aluminum extrusion can be chosen.