spore: profile
id: aluminium-3103
spore_version: 0.2
family: aluminium-alloys
name: Aluminium alloy 3103
abbreviation: '3103'
role: commercial Al-Mn sheet alloy for heat exchangers and cladding
category: metals
type: aluminium
summary: |
  3103 is a wrought aluminium-manganese alloy (UNS A93103, also EN AW-3103) with 0.90 to 1.50 wt% manganese as the main alloying element and aluminium as the balance. Smiths calls it a commercial alloy close in properties to 3003, with very good corrosion resistance and very good weldability. In the H14 condition the Smiths datasheet gives a density of 2.73 g/cm3 and a thermal conductivity of 160 W/m.K, and both Smiths and Righton give a minimum tensile strength of 140 MPa. Strength depends strongly on temper: AircraftMaterials prints 90 to 130 N/mm2 for O and 160 to 195 N/mm2 for H16. None of the sources read here records a flight or spacecraft use.
best_for: Heat exchangers, radiators and formed sheet that need moderate strength, good weldability and resistance to atmospheric corrosion (Smiths lists these uses)
weakest_at: Strength falls with the softer tempers (O is 90 to 130 N/mm2 against 160 to 195 N/mm2 in H16), and the sources read here give no measured corrosion test data for this alloy
identity:
  formula: 'Al-Mn wrought alloy, 3103 (EN AW-3103 family): Mn 0.90 to 1.50, Fe max 0.70, Cu max 0.10, Mg max 0.05 (Smiths) or max 0.30 (Righton and AircraftMaterials), Si max 0.50, Zn max 0.20, Cr max 0.10, Ti+Zr max 0.10, other elements max 0.05 each and 0.15 total, Al balance (wt%)'
  cas: ''
  source: smith-3103
  where: Chemical Composition (weight %) table, Smiths 3103 datasheet (2023). Righton (BS EN 573-3) and the AircraftMaterials composition limits table agree on Mn, Fe, Cu, Si, Zn, Cr and Ti+Zr, but Righton and AircraftMaterials print Mg max 0.30 where Smiths prints 0.05.
  designations:
    - system: UNS
      code: A93103
      source: totalmateria-3103
      where: International equivalent materials table, row UNS A93103
    - system: AA
      code: '3103'
      source: aircraftmaterials-3103
      where: Chemical Composition Limits (Weight %) table, heading Alloy 3103
    - system: DIN
      code: AlMn1
      source: totalmateria-3103
      where: International equivalent materials table, row AlMn1 under DIN
    - system: EN
      code: '3.0515'
      source: totalmateria-3103
      where: International equivalent materials table, row 3.0515 under DIN
    - system: EN name
      code: EN AW-3103
      source: totalmateria-3103
      where: Page title SS EN AW-3103 Aluminium Alloys
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses: []
  applications:
    - thermal-control
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, 3103 H14
    value: 2.73
    unit: g/cm3
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14 (Smiths states its properties are for the H14 condition)
      form: sheet
    method: Value printed on a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Physical Properties panel, row Density
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting point, 3103
    value: 655
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      form: not stated
    method: Single value printed on a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Physical Properties panel, row Melting Point
  - benchmark: cte
    label: Thermal expansion, 3103 H14
    value: 23.1
    unit: x10-6/K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14 (Smiths states its properties are for the H14 condition)
      temperature: not stated
    method: Value printed on a supplier datasheet (printed as x10-6 /K)
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Physical Properties panel, row Thermal Expansion
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    label: Modulus of elasticity, 3103 H14
    value: 69.5
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14 (Smiths states its properties are for the H14 condition)
      temperature: not stated
    method: Value printed on a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Physical Properties panel, row Modulus of Elasticity
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    label: Thermal conductivity, 3103 H14
    value: 160
    unit: W/m.K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14 (Smiths states its properties are for the H14 condition)
      temperature: not stated
    method: Value printed on a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Physical Properties panel, row Thermal Conductivity
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Minimum proof stress, 3103 H14 sheet (Smiths)
    value: 110
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet
      basis: minimum, printed as proof stress; offset not stated
    method: Minimum value printed in the Mechanical Properties panel of a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties panel, row Proof Stress
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Minimum tensile strength, 3103 H14 (Smiths)
    value: 140
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet
      basis: minimum
    method: Minimum value printed in the Mechanical Properties panel of a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties panel, row Tensile Strength
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Minimum elongation A50 mm, 3103 H14
    value: 8
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet
      gauge_length: A50 mm
      basis: minimum
    method: Minimum value printed in the Mechanical Properties panel of a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties panel, row Elongation A50 mm
  - benchmark: shear_strength
    label: Shear strength, 3103 H14
    value: 90
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet
    method: Value printed on a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties panel, row Shear Strength
  - benchmark: vickers_hardness
    label: Vickers hardness, 3103 H14
    value: 46
    unit: HV
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet
    method: Value printed on a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: smith-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties panel, row Hardness Vickers
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength range, 3103 H14 sheet 0.2 to 6.0 mm (BS EN 485-2)
    value: 140
    value_high: 180
    bound: range
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet, 0.2 mm to 6.0 mm
      standard: BS EN 485-2
    method: Range printed in the Mechanical Properties table of a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: righton-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties table, row Tensile Strength, column BS EN 485-2
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Minimum proof stress, 3103 H14 sheet 0.2 to 6.0 mm (BS EN 485-2)
    value: 120
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet, 0.2 mm to 6.0 mm
      standard: BS EN 485-2
      basis: minimum, printed as proof stress; offset not stated
    method: Minimum value printed in the Mechanical Properties table of a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: righton-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties table, row Proof Stress, Min
  - benchmark: brinell_hardness
    label: Brinell hardness, 3103 H14 sheet
    value: 45
    unit: HB
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H14
      form: sheet, 0.2 mm to 6.0 mm
      standard: BS EN 485-2
    method: Value printed in the Mechanical Properties table of a supplier datasheet
    status: ground
    source: righton-3103
    where: Mechanical Properties table, row Hardness Brinell
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, 3103 O temper sheet
    value: 90
    value_high: 130
    bound: range
    unit: N/mm2
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: O
      form: sheet
    method: Range printed in the Typical Mechanical Properties table for Alloy 3103 Sheet (column header N/mm2)
    status: ground
    source: aircraftmaterials-3103
    where: Typical Mechanical Properties (Alloy 3103 Sheet) table, row 0, column Tensile Strength
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, 3103 H12 sheet
    value: 120
    value_high: 145
    bound: range
    unit: N/mm2
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H12
      form: sheet
    method: Range printed in the Typical Mechanical Properties table for Alloy 3103 Sheet (column header N/mm2)
    status: ground
    source: aircraftmaterials-3103
    where: Typical Mechanical Properties (Alloy 3103 Sheet) table, row H12, column Tensile Strength
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, 3103 H16 sheet
    value: 160
    value_high: 195
    bound: range
    unit: N/mm2
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H16
      form: sheet
    method: Range printed in the Typical Mechanical Properties table for Alloy 3103 Sheet (column header N/mm2)
    status: ground
    source: aircraftmaterials-3103
    where: Typical Mechanical Properties (Alloy 3103 Sheet) table, row H16, column Tensile Strength
corrosion:
  - environment: General atmospheric service (supplier rating, no test conditions)
    headline: Smiths rates the corrosion resistance of 3103 as very good.
    effect: 'The Smiths datasheet lists very good resistance to atmospheric corrosion as a key feature and gives Corrosion Resistance: Very good. No test environment, exposure time or rate is given.'
    rating: low
    conditions:
      rating_in_source: very good corrosion resistance (mapped to low corrosion severity)
      basis: qualitative supplier rating only
      test: none stated
    source: smith-3103
    where: Key features list and Corrosion Resistance box
  - environment: General atmospheric service (supplier characteristic, no test conditions)
    headline: Righton describes the atmospheric corrosion resistance of 3103 as good.
    effect: The Righton datasheet lists good resistance to atmospheric corrosion under Characteristics. It is a weaker rating than Smiths gives, and no test is described.
    rating: low
    conditions:
      rating_in_source: good resistance to atmospheric corrosion (mapped to low corrosion severity)
      basis: qualitative supplier description only
      test: none stated
    source: righton-3103
    where: Characteristics list
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: The Alcoa safety data sheet for wrought 3xxx series alloys (revision 10-13-2015) lists 3103 in its synonym list. It gives aluminum (CAS 7429-90-5, >92 %) and says the product is not hazardous under 29 CFR 1910.1200. It names combustible dust as an authority-defined hazard. It covers the whole 3xxx family, not 3103 alone, so the reading is family-level.
      ghs: []
      source: alcoa-3xxx-sds
      where: Section 2 hazard statements (row Authority defined hazards; not hazardous under 29 CFR 1910.1200); composition table, row Aluminum
    - text: The same Alcoa sheet says the health effects listed are not likely to occur unless processing creates dust or fumes. Dust and fume from processing can irritate the eyes, skin and upper respiratory tract.
      ghs: []
      source: alcoa-3xxx-sds
      where: Health hazards text and first-aid rows (Eye contact, Inhalation) in the Alcoa sheet
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Soft O temper where strength is needed
      trigger: Specifying the O (annealed) temper for a load-bearing part
      consequence: Tensile strength falls to 90 to 130 N/mm2 in O, against 160 to 195 N/mm2 in H16 (AircraftMaterials). Strength depends strongly on temper, so the temper must be named.
      severity: moderate
      source: aircraftmaterials-3103
      where: Typical Mechanical Properties (Alloy 3103 Sheet) table, rows 0 and H16
    - mode: Dust explosion during machining or grinding
      trigger: Dust or fines dispersed in air, or chips and fines in contact with water
      consequence: The Alcoa sheet says dust clouds may be explosive and that a minor dust cloud can explode violently. Chips, fines and dust in contact with water can generate flammable hydrogen gas.
      severity: high
      source: alcoa-3xxx-sds
      where: Alcoa sheet rows Specific hazards and Explosion/fire hazards (fire-fighting measures)
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: Keep the material dry and avoid generating dust. The Alcoa sheet says to keep material dry and to avoid generating dust in handling.
      source: alcoa-3xxx-sds
      where: Handling row in the Alcoa sheet
    - text: For processes that generate dust or fines, the Alcoa sheet says to follow the safety procedures in the Aluminum Association bulletin it names, and to keep dust collection systems dedicated to aluminium dust.
      source: alcoa-3xxx-sds
      where: Row Requirements for Processes Which Generate Dusts or Fines in the Alcoa sheet
    - text: Specify the temper and product form before comparing values. The datasheets print different figures for H14, H12, H16 and O, and for proof stress.
      source: aircraftmaterials-3103
      where: Typical Mechanical Properties (Alloy 3103 Sheet) table, compared with smith-3103 and righton-3103 Mechanical Properties
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: thermal-control
    device: Heat exchangers, air-conditioning evaporators and vehicle radiators
    example: Smiths lists heat exchangers, heating and cooling systems, air conditioning evaporators and vehicle radiators as applications. Righton lists heat exchangers, air condition evaporators and motor vehicle radiators.
    source: smith-3103
    where: Applications list, Smiths datasheet; Applications list, Righton datasheet (both name these uses)
  - application: structures
    device: Aircraft and military components, construction cladding and corrugated roofing
    example: Smiths lists aircraft and military components and corrugated roofing. Righton lists cladding alloy. The sources do not name a space or launch use for 3103.
    source: smith-3103
    where: Applications list, Smiths datasheet; Righton Applications list, row Cladding alloy
supply:
  - subject: Primary aluminium smelter production, 2025 estimate (world)
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 60.8
        year: 2025
      - country: India
        share_percent: 5.7
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 5.3
        year: 2025
      - country: Canada
        share_percent: 4.5
        year: 2025
      - country: United Arab Emirates
        share_percent: 3.6
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: in 2025 about 3.6 million tons of aluminum were recovered from purchased scrap in the United States. Old-scrap recovery was equivalent to about 28 % of apparent consumption.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: composites can substitute for aluminum in aircraft fuselages and wings. Glass, paper, plastics and steel can substitute for aluminum in packaging.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-aluminum
    where: 'World Smelter Production and Capacity table, column 2025e: China 45,000, India 4,200, Russia 3,900, Canada 3,300, United Arab Emirates 2,700, world total (rounded) 74,000 thousand t. Shares are calculated by Space Mushroom from those printed values (for example 45,000 / 74,000 = 60.8 %). The subject is the primary metal, not the 3103 alloy. Recycling and Substitutes sections.'
documents:
  - title: 'Smiths Metal Centres: 3103 Aluminium Technical Datasheet (2023)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.smithmetal.com/pdf/aluminium/3xxx/3103.pdf
    year: 2023
  - title: 'Righton and Blackburns: Aluminium 3103 H14 Sheet datasheet (updated 05 August 2021)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.rightonblackburns.co.uk/datasheets/view/Righton-Blackburns-Ltd_Aluminium-Alloy-3103-H14-Sheet_298.pdf
    year: 2021
  - title: 'AircraftMaterials: Aluminium Alloy 3103 / 3103A'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://aircraftmaterials.com/data/aluminium/3103.html
  - title: 'Total Materia: SS EN AW-3103 Aluminium Alloys (equivalent materials table)'
    type: database
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/3223256
  - title: 'Alcoa: Safety Data Sheet, Wrought Aluminum Products, 3xxx Series Alloys (revision 10-13-2015), copy hosted by KM Sheet Metal'
    type: sds
    url: https://docs.kmsheetmetal.com/web/image/734638-a1aa560c/sds-3000-series-alcoa-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2015
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
gaps:
  - No flight, spacecraft, satellite or launch-vehicle record for 3103 was found in the sources read here.
  - No measured corrosion data (salt spray, ASTM G85 SWAAT, G34 or G66, exfoliation) for 3103 was found. The Smiths and Righton entries are supplier ratings only. A 2003 conference paper on AA3103 pipes was seen only as a search result, with no abstract or text, so it was not used.
  - The electrical figure on the Smiths datasheet is printed as 42% IACS under the label Electricity Resistivity. The label and unit conflict, so the value was left out, as it was for 2017.
  - 'Magnesium maximum conflicts: Smiths prints Mg max 0.05 wt%, while Righton (BS EN 573-3) and AircraftMaterials print Mg max 0.30 wt%. Both are shown in the formula and recipe text, and neither is resolved here.'
  - 'Proof stress minimum conflicts for H14 sheet: Smiths prints 110 MPa min and Righton (BS EN 485-2) prints 120 MPa min. Both are entered with their source and conditions.'
  - The Total Materia page shows modulus of elasticity 69 to 79 GPa and electrical resistivity in ohm-mm2/m, without temperature or temper. The 69 to 79 GPa range was not entered because it conflicts with the Smiths value of 69.5 GPa, and the Total Materia tensile range (80 to 230 MPa) does not say which temper it covers.
  - The Total Materia density, yield strength, service temperature and CTE are behind a free registration, so they were not read.
  - The AircraftMaterials elongation values for O, H12 and H16 have no unit printed on the page, so they were left out.
  - The Brinell and Vickers hardness, shear strength and electrical conductivity benchmarks are not in property-canon.yaml. They use short snake_case names (brinell_hardness, vickers_hardness, shear_strength) as the brief allows. The conductivity value was left out (see above).
  - The Alcoa safety sheet covers the whole wrought 3xxx series (3103 appears only in its synonym list) and is dated 2015. The hazard classes are family-level. No 3103-specific SDS was found.
  - The Aalco 3103 H14 datasheet PDF returned an empty file, so it was not read. MatWeb, ASM Handbook and the 3103 patents (US 6896749 is a scanned image with no readable text) were not reached.
  - Only six sources are recorded, below the eight the lithium standard asks for. No Wikipedia article for 3103 exists (HTTP 404), so no history source was added.
  - No manufacturing or heat-treatment process for the H14, H12, H16 or O tempers was found in the sources read here, so the recipe gives composition only.
  - The USGS 2026 aluminum summary used here does not list a critical-minerals entry, so none is recorded.
  - Radiation effects, atomic oxygen, outgassing and cryogenic properties were not looked up for this alloy.
  - No media files were added. The alloy has no crystal-structure or product image sourced in this run.
sources:
  smith-3103:
    title: Smiths Metal Centres, 3103 Aluminium Technical Datasheet (2023)
    url: https://www.smithmetal.com/pdf/aluminium/3xxx/3103.pdf
    year: 2023
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  righton-3103:
    title: Righton and Blackburns, Aluminium 3103 H14 Sheet datasheet (BS EN 573-3 and BS EN 485-2)
    url: https://www.rightonblackburns.co.uk/datasheets/view/Righton-Blackburns-Ltd_Aluminium-Alloy-3103-H14-Sheet_298.pdf
    year: 2021
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  aircraftmaterials-3103:
    title: 'AircraftMaterials: Aluminium Alloy 3103 / 3103A'
    id: AA 3103
    url: https://aircraftmaterials.com/data/aluminium/3103.html
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier web page (cited, not reproduced)
  totalmateria-3103:
    title: 'Total Materia: SS EN AW-3103 Aluminium Alloys'
    id: UNS A93103, AlMn1, 3.0515, EN AW-3103
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/3223256
    kind: database
    license: Paywalled database (cited, not reproduced)
  alcoa-3xxx-sds:
    title: Alcoa Safety Data Sheet, Wrought Aluminum Products, 3xxx Series Alloys (revision 10-13-2015)
    url: https://docs.kmsheetmetal.com/web/image/734638-a1aa560c/sds-3000-series-alcoa-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2015
    kind: datasheet
    license: Manufacturer safety data sheet (cited, not reproduced)
  usgs-mcs2026-aluminum:
    title: 'Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum'
    id: USGS MCS 2026
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 16
  unreachable: 4
  caveats: 6
  note: 'Values were read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26 from the pages named in each entry. Unreachable or blocked: Aalco H14 PDF (empty download), Total Materia (login for most fields), the 3103 patent (scanned image, no text), Wikipedia 3103 (404). Caveats: all H14 values are from one or two supplier datasheets; the O, H12 and H16 values are from AircraftMaterials without a printed elongation unit; the Mg maximum and proof stress minimum conflict between sources; the hazard classes are for the whole 3xxx family; the corrosion entries are supplier ratings only; no space use is confirmed.'
story:
  recipe:
    line: 3103 is a wrought Al-Mn alloy. Manganese is the main alloying element at 0.90 to 1.50 wt%, with small limits on iron, copper, magnesium, silicon, zinc, chromium and titanium plus zirconium (Smiths; Righton BS EN 573-3). The composition below is the standard range, not a measured value. The sources read here do not describe how the H14, H12, H16 or O tempers are produced.
    parts:
      - name: Aluminium
        symbol: Al
        share: Balance
        role: The matrix of the alloy. Balance of the composition.
      - name: Manganese
        symbol: Mn
        share: 0.90 to 1.50 wt%
        role: The main alloying element. Smiths notes that it is stronger than the commercial-purity grades, especially at elevated working temperatures.
      - name: Iron
        symbol: Fe
        share: max 0.70 wt%
        role: Impurity limit. Iron is kept low for formability and does not work as an alloying element here.
      - name: Copper
        symbol: Cu
        share: max 0.10 wt%
        role: Impurity limit, printed as max 0.10 by Smiths, Righton and AircraftMaterials.
      - name: Magnesium
        symbol: Mg
        share: max 0.05 wt% (Smiths) or max 0.30 wt% (Righton, AircraftMaterials)
        role: Impurity limit. The sources disagree on the maximum, so both values are shown.
      - name: Silicon
        symbol: Si
        share: max 0.50 wt%
        role: Impurity limit, printed as max 0.50 by all three composition sources.
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      level: 1
      verdict: Dust and fume warnings
      lead: The Alcoa safety sheet for the 3xxx series gives dust and fume warnings for processing. No health data for 3103 alone were found.
      points:
        - label: Machining dust
          line: Dust clouds may be explosive, and dust and fume from processing can irritate the eyes, skin and upper airways (Alcoa SDS, 3xxx series).
    - title: If it fails
      lead: The failure routes found in the sources are soft tempers and dust explosions.
      points:
        - label: Soft temper
          line: In O temper the tensile strength is 90 to 130 N/mm2, against 160 to 195 N/mm2 in H16 (AircraftMaterials).
        - label: Dust
          line: Dust clouds may be explosive. Fines in contact with water can make hydrogen (Alcoa SDS).
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Specify temper and form
          line: Name the temper (H14, H12, H16 or O) and the product form before comparing values, because the datasheets differ.
        - label: Dust control
          line: Keep machining dust under control, and keep the material dry, following the Alcoa sheet.
  why: 3103 is an Al-Mn sheet alloy that Smiths calls close in properties to 3003, with good cold workability (Righton) and very good weldability (Smiths). Smiths gives a density of 2.73 g/cm3, a melting point of 655 °C and a thermal conductivity of 160 W/m.K, and it lists heat exchangers, radiators and air-conditioning evaporators as uses. In H14 it has a minimum tensile strength of 140 MPa. The alloy is a sheet product, and the sources read here do not record a space use.
  uses:
    - where: Heat exchangers, evaporators and vehicle radiators
      line: Smiths and Righton both list these uses for 3103 sheet.
    - where: Aircraft and military components, cladding and roofing
      line: Smiths lists aircraft and military components and corrugated roofing. Righton lists cladding alloy.
  can_do:
    - label: Carry load in H14
      value: 140 MPa min tensile
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      line: The Smiths datasheet gives a minimum tensile strength of 140 MPa and a minimum elongation of 8 % over A50 mm for H14 sheet.
    - label: Carry load in H16
      value: 160 to 195 N/mm2 tensile
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      line: AircraftMaterials gives 160 to 195 N/mm2 tensile for H16 sheet, which is the strongest temper it lists.
    - label: Weight
      value: 2.73 g/cm3
      benchmark: density
      line: The Smiths datasheet gives a density of 2.73 g/cm3.
    - label: Heat
      value: 160 W/m.K
      benchmark: thermal_conductivity
      line: The Smiths datasheet gives a thermal conductivity of 160 W/m.K for H14.
  compare: Compared with the other rows of this site, 3103 is a moderate-strength Al-Mn sheet alloy with good corrosion resistance and very good weldability. The sources here give its density, stiffness and thermal figures for this alloy only, and they do not compare it with other grades numerically.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Density
      benchmark: density
    - label: Thermal conductivity
      benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    - label: Modulus of elasticity
      benchmark: elastic_modulus
  handling:
    - Specify the temper and the product form, because the datasheets give different values for H14, H12, H16 and O.
    - Keep machining dust and fines under control. Dust clouds may be explosive.
    - Keep the material dry, and do not let fines contact water.
  good_for:
    - Heat exchangers, evaporators and radiators, where the Smiths and Righton datasheets list 3103 as a use.
    - Formed sheet and cladding that need moderate strength with very good weldability (Smiths).
    - Light parts where a density near 2.73 g/cm3 is wanted.
  watch_out:
    - 'Temper: O is 90 to 130 N/mm2 tensile, and H16 is 160 to 195 N/mm2.'
    - Magnesium maximum and proof stress minimum differ between sources (see gaps).
    - 'Corrosion: the ratings are qualitative (very good from Smiths, good from Righton), and no measured corrosion test for 3103 was found.'
    - Spacecraft or launcher use of 3103 is not confirmed by any source read here.
  verdict: 3103 is a sound, weldable Al-Mn sheet alloy for heat exchangers and cladding, with strength that depends on its temper. The sources give it good atmospheric corrosion resistance on supplier ratings, but they do not give measured corrosion data or a flight record.