A356 Aluminum Alloy Overview

 A356 Aluminum Alloy Overview

Chemical Composition (wt.%)：

Si: 6.5–7.5; Mg: 0.25–0.45;  Fe: ≤0.20; Cu: ≤0.20; Zn: ≤0.10; Ti: ≤0.20

Other trace elements: ≤0.05

Al: Balance

Equivalent Designations：

China (GB): A356.2

USA (ASTM): A356

Europe (EN): AlSi7Mg0.3

Japan (JIS): AC4CH

Mechanical Properties (Typical T6 Condition)：

Tensile Strength: 260–310 MPa

Yield Strength: 170–230 MPa

Elongation: 6–9%

Hardness: 75–95 HB

Density: \~2.68 g/cm³

Thermal Conductivity: \~150–170 W/m·K

Features: Balanced strength and toughness, excellent corrosion resistance, good weldability

Material Advantages

High Si content ensures excellent fluidity, making it suitable for thin-wall castings. Mg provides significant strengthening after heat treatment, while the high strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for lightweight design. In addition, it offers strong corrosion resistance, making it applicable to automotive and marine environments. With balanced cost and performance, this alloy is highly suitable for mass production.

Typical Applications

This material features high silicon content and excellent fluidity, making it well-suited for complex thin-walled castings. With magnesium strengthening, it demonstrates significant improvement after heat treatment. It also offers high specific strength, in line with lightweight design trends. Its outstanding corrosion resistance enables reliable performance in demanding environments such as automotive and marine applications. Striking a good balance between cost and performance, it is highly suitable for mass production.