Marine grade aluminum alloy is one of the emerging fields of aluminum alloy products. Because marine grade aluminum alloy is used in marine vessels and other fields, it has more stringent process requirements and performance standards than other common aluminum alloy products.

The principle of selecting shipbuilding aluminum alloys has the following four points:
1.    High specific strength and specific modulus
The structural strength of the ship is closely related to the yield strength and elastic modulus of the material. Since the elastic modulus and density of the aluminum alloy are generally the same, the addition of alloying elements has little effect, so increasing the yield strength within a certain range can reduce the ship structure. High-strength aluminum alloys are often difficult to have both excellent corrosion resistance and weldability, so shipbuilding aluminum alloys are generally medium-strength, corrosion-resistant weldable alloys.
2.    Excellent welding performance
At present, the main method used in the ship is the automatic argon arc welding method. Good weldability means that the tendency of the aluminum alloy to form cracks during welding is small, that is, the aluminum alloy should have good welding crack resistance, because under shipbuilding conditions. Lost weldability cannot be restored by heat treatment again.

3.    Excellent corrosion resistance
Ship structures are often used in harsh seawater media and marine environments. Therefore, corrosion resistance is one of the main signs of marine grade aluminum alloy.
4.    Aluminum alloy has good cold and hot forming properties.
Because the ship is manufactured by cold processing and hot processing, the marine grade aluminum alloy must be easy to form, does not produce crack defects, and can still meet the strength and corrosion requirements after processing.

The selection of marine grade aluminum alloy is more stringent. At present, more aluminum alloy products such as 5083, 5086, 5454, 5754 and 6061 are used. In practical applications, the advantages of shipbuilding aluminum alloys are very obvious. Firstly, the specific gravity is small, which can reduce the weight of the ship, save energy and increase the load; secondly, it is good in corrosion resistance, reducing the cost of oiling and extending the service life; Good welding and processing performance, which is conducive to post-processing; finally, aluminum scrap is easy to recycle and can be recycled. At the same time, it does not burn and is safe in case of fire.