spore: profile
id: aluminium-6101
spore_version: 0.2
family: aluminium-alloys
name: Aluminium alloy 6101
abbreviation: '6101'
role: electrical bus-bar conductor alloy
category: metals
type: aluminium
summary: 6101 is a heat-treatable wrought Al-Mg-Si alloy (AA 6101, UNS A96101) made for electrical conductors. TubingChina prints an electrical conductivity of 57 % IACS for the T6 temper, with a tensile strength of 32,000 psi and a yield strength of 28,000 psi in that temper. The Righton Blackburns datasheet describes it for enclosed bus-bar conductors and power distribution equipment. The density is printed as 0.097 lb per cubic inch (specific gravity 2.7) and the melting point as 1090 °F. Thermal, modulus and hardness values on the same page were left out because they had no unit printed. The Hydro datasheet, which would give a fuller property set, could not be reached.
best_for: Electrical bus-bar and power-distribution conductors where conductivity matters more than peak strength (57 % IACS in T6, per TubingChina)
weakest_at: Strength depends strongly on temper (H111 tensile 85 MPa against 32,000 psi in T6), and the 6101 sources read here partly disagree
identity:
  formula: 'Al-Mg-Si alloy, AA 6101 (EN 573-3 limits): Mg 0.35 to 0.80, Si 0.30 to 0.70, Fe up to 0.50, Cu up to 0.10, Zn up to 0.10, Mn up to 0.03, Cr up to 0.03 wt%, Al balance'
  cas: ''
  source: righton-6101
  where: Chemical composition table, EN 573-3 column, alloy 6101 (Righton Blackburns 6101 T6 datasheet, 05 August 2021). Mg and Si limits agree with the ASTM B317 composition printed on the mfgrobots page.
  designations:
    - system: UNS
      code: A96101
      source: tubingchina
      where: Specifications list, UNS A96101
    - system: ASTM
      code: B317
      note: bar, rod, tube, pipe and profile
      source: mfgrobots-b317
      where: Page title ASTM B317 Grade 6101 (H111) and Mechanical table
    - system: SAE
      code: J454
      source: tubingchina
      where: Specifications list, SAE J454
    - system: AA
      code: '6101'
      source: wiki-6000-series
      where: 6000 series composition table, row 6101
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses: []
  applications:
    - electronics-and-chips
properties:
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, 6101 T6
    value: 32000
    unit: psi
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: T6
      product: not stated
      unit_in_source: psi
    method: Value printed under the 6101-T6 Aluminium heading on the TubingChina page (printed in psi, converted on import)
    status: ground
    source: tubingchina
    where: 6101-T6 Aluminium section, Ultimate Tensile Strength row (psi)
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Yield strength, 6101 T6
    value: 28000
    unit: psi
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: T6
      product: not stated
      unit_in_source: psi
    method: Value printed under the 6101-T6 Aluminium heading on the TubingChina page (printed in psi, converted on import)
    status: ground
    source: tubingchina
    where: 6101-T6 Aluminium section, Yield Strength row (psi)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength, 6101 H111
    value: 85
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: H111
      standard: ASTM B317
      product: bar, rod, tube, pipe, profile
    method: Value printed on the mfgrobots ASTM B317 Grade 6101 page, an aggregator page; the value is listed with H111 and ASTM B317
    status: ground
    source: mfgrobots-b317
    where: Mechanical table, Tensile strength row (H111; ASTM B317)
  - benchmark: electrical_conductivity
    label: Electrical conductivity, 6101 T6
    value: 57
    unit: '% IACS'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      temper: T6
    method: Value printed in the 6101-T6 Aluminium section of the TubingChina page. The same page's body text says 56% of copper, a small conflict noted here and not resolved.
    status: ground
    note: The same page's body text says 56 % of copper; its table says 57 % IACS.
    source: tubingchina
    where: 6101-T6 Aluminium section, Electrical Conductivity row; Other Physical Props body text
  - benchmark: density
    label: Density, 6101
    value: 0.097
    unit: lb/cu.in
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: Aluminium 6101 physical properties, no temper stated
      unit_in_source: lb / cu. in.
    method: Value printed on the TubingChina page in lb per cubic inch; the same page prints specific gravity 2.7
    status: ground
    source: tubingchina
    where: Aluminium 6101 Physical Properties, Density row
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting point, 6101
    value: 1090
    unit: °F
    scope: material
    conditions:
      basis: single value printed, no temper stated
      unit_in_source: Deg F
    method: Value printed on the TubingChina page under Aluminium 6101 Physical Properties (printed in °F, converted on import)
    status: ground
    source: tubingchina
    where: Aluminium 6101 Physical Properties, Melting Point row (Deg F)
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    label: Proof stress minimum, 6101A T6 (related grade)
    value: 170
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: 6101A, a related grade with its own datasheet; not the same grade number as 6101
      temper: T6
      product: extruded bar up to 150 mm
      standard: EN 755-2
    method: Minimum value printed in the EN 755-2 table of the Righton Blackburns 6101A datasheet, labelled Proof Stress
    status: ground
    source: righton-6101a
    where: Mechanical properties table, 6101A, Extruded Bar Up to 150mm, Proof Stress row (170 Min MPa)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    label: Tensile strength minimum, 6101A T6 (related grade)
    value: 200
    bound: lower
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: 6101A, related grade (see above)
      temper: T6
      product: extruded bar up to 150 mm
      standard: EN 755-2
    method: Minimum value printed in the EN 755-2 table of the Righton Blackburns 6101A datasheet (printed as N/mm 2)
    status: ground
    source: righton-6101a
    where: Mechanical properties table, 6101A, Extruded Bar Up to 150mm, Tensile Strength row (200 Min N/mm 2)
  - benchmark: elongation
    label: Elongation minimum, 6101A T6 (related grade)
    value: 8
    bound: lower
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      grade: 6101A, related grade (see above)
      temper: T6
      product: extruded bar up to 150 mm
      gauge_length: A50 mm
      standard: EN 755-2
    method: Minimum value printed in the EN 755-2 table of the Righton Blackburns 6101A datasheet
    status: ground
    source: righton-6101a
    where: Mechanical properties table, 6101A, Elongation A50 mm row (8 Min %)
corrosion:
  - environment: General service (no test conditions)
    headline: Righton lists good corrosion resistance for 6101, with no test conditions printed.
    effect: The Righton Blackburns 6101 T6 datasheet lists good corrosion resistance among its characteristics. It gives no test environment, exposure time or rate.
    rating: unknown
    conditions:
      basis: qualitative characteristic on the datasheet only
      test: none stated
    source: righton-6101
    where: Characteristics list, Good corrosion resistance
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: Aluminium (CAS 7429-90-5, more than 89.9 %) carries the GHS classes Flam. Sol. 1 (H228) and Water-react. 2 (H261). The sheet says user-generated dust is easily ignited and difficult to extinguish. It covers the whole 6xxx series, not 6101 alone, so the classes are a family-level reading.
      ghs:
        - H228
        - H261
      source: hydro-6xxx-sds
      where: Section 3 composition table, Aluminum row; Section 2 text on user-generated dust
    - text: Inhaled fume can cause metal fume fever, with symptoms like influenza. The sheet also says inhaling finely divided aluminium powder may cause pulmonary fibrosis.
      ghs: []
      source: hydro-6xxx-sds
      where: Inhalation text and Chronic Symptoms paragraph (health effects)
    - text: Small chips, fine turnings and processing dust may be toxic to aquatic life, according to the same sheet.
      ghs: []
      source: hydro-6xxx-sds
      where: Section 2 text on environmental hazards
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Higher resistive loss than copper of the same section
      trigger: Carrying current in a conductor sized as if it were copper
      consequence: The TubingChina page gives the conductivity as 56 % of copper, so a conductor of the same section has more resistance and more heating than a copper one.
      severity: low
      source: tubingchina
      where: Other Physical Props body text
    - mode: Lower strength in the H111 temper
      trigger: Specifying H111 where T6 strength is needed
      consequence: The H111 tensile strength is 85 MPa, against 32,000 psi tensile and 28,000 psi yield in T6, so the temper choice changes the tensile strength by more than two times. The two values come from different pages.
      severity: moderate
      source: mfgrobots-b317
      where: Mechanical table, Tensile strength row (H111); compared with the TubingChina 6101-T6 section
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: Keep machining dust and fines under control. The Hydro sheet says user-generated dust is easily ignited and difficult to extinguish, and to avoid inhaling dust and fume.
      source: hydro-6xxx-sds
      where: Section 2 hazards text; precautionary text on dust and fume
    - text: Keep the material away from strong acids, strong bases and strong oxidizers, which the sheet lists as incompatible.
      source: hydro-6xxx-sds
      where: Incompatible Materials line
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: electronics-and-chips
    device: Electrical bus-bar conductors for enclosed bus installations
    example: Righton Blackburns lists busbar conductor applications for enclosed bus electrical installations, and also power transmission and power stations, for its 6101 T6 bar and extrusion.
    source: righton-6101
    where: Applications section, 6101 T6 datasheet
  - application: electronics-and-chips
    device: Bus conductors, per the ASM Alloy Digest abstract
    example: The ASM Alloy Digest abstract describes the alloy as recommended for applications involving maximum electrical conductivity with moderately high strength, such as bus conductors.
    source: asm-al155
    where: Abstract text, Alloy Digest Al-155 (the full datasheet is paywalled)
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: about 3.6 million tons of aluminum were recovered from purchased scrap in the United States in 2025.'
    substitutes:
      - 'USGS: copper can replace aluminum in electrical and heat-exchange applications.'
    source: usgs-mcs2026-aluminum
    where: World Smelter Production and Capacity table, 2025e column (China 45,000, India 4,200, Russia 3,900, Canada 3,300, UAE 2,700; world total 74,000 thousand t). Shares calculated by Space Mushroom. Recycling and Substitutes sections.
documents:
  - title: 'Righton Blackburns: Aluminium 6101 T6 Bar and Extrusion datasheet (05 August 2021)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.rightonblackburns.co.uk/datasheets/view/Righton-Blackburns-Ltd_Aluminium-Alloy-6101-T6-Bar-Extrusion-Bar_356.pdf
    year: 2021
  - title: 'Righton Blackburns: Aluminium 6101A T6 Bar and Extrusion datasheet (05 August 2021)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.rightonblackburns.co.uk/datasheets/view/Righton-Blackburns-Ltd_Aluminium-Alloy-6101A-T6-Bar-Extrusion-Bar_357.pdf
    year: 2021
  - title: 'TubingChina: 6101 aluminum properties (6101-T6 section and physical properties)'
    type: database
    url: https://tubingchina.com/6101-aluminum.htm
  - title: 'MFG Robots: ASTM B317 Grade 6101 (H111) aluminium page'
    type: database
    url: https://www.mfgrobots.com/Article/material/metal/38668.html
  - title: 'Wikipedia: 6000 series aluminium alloys (composition table, row 6101)'
    type: database
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6000_series_aluminium_alloy
    year: 2026
  - title: 'Hydro: Safety Data Sheet, Wrought Aluminum Products, 6xxx Series Alloys'
    type: sds
    url: https://www.hydro.com/globalassets/01-products--services/extruded-profiles/americas/ena-resources/safety-data-sheets/8-668-6xxx-series.pdf
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'ASM Alloy Digest Al-155: Aluminum 6101 High Conductivity Aluminum Alloy (1966, paywalled)'
    type: database
    url: https://dl.asminternational.org/alloy-digest/article/15/5/Al-155/1375/ALUMINUM-6101High-Conductivity-Aluminum-Alloy
    year: 1966
gaps:
  - The full property set was not reached. The Hydro EN AW-6101A/B datasheet, the most complete source, returned 404 on both the search link and WebFetch. MakeItFrom (403), MaterialsPlus (403), OnlineMetals (403), SuppliersOnline (503) and Matmatch did not resolve or load, and the Wikipedia 6101 article does not exist (404).
  - No thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, modulus or specific heat for 6101 was recorded. TubingChina prints thermal conductivity 1200 and modulus 10 with no unit, so they were left out.
  - No hardness was recorded. TubingChina prints Brinell 71 with no unit, so it was left out.
  - The Righton 6101 T6 datasheet prints a tensile strength of 97 MPa with no temper. It conflicts with the 200 MPa minimum for 6101A and the 221 MPa T6 figure, so it was not used.
  - 'Electrical conductivity: TubingChina gives 57 % IACS in its table and 56 % of copper in its body text. A 59 % IACS T61 listing seen only in a search snippet was not read, so it is not used. The name electrical_conductivity is not in property-canon.yaml, so that short snake_case name is used.'
  - The 6101A rows are a related grade (EN AW-6101A, separate datasheet with different Mg and Cu limits). They are labelled as such. Whether 6101A and 6101 share the same mechanical values is not confirmed.
  - No EN code for 6101 was printed on any page read for this grade, so no EN designation is listed.
  - The hazard classes come from the Hydro SDS for the whole 6xxx series, not a 6101-specific sheet. Lead classes printed for some 6xxx alloys were not applied, because lead is not in the 6101 composition limits.
  - 'Corrosion is qualitative only (Righton: good corrosion resistance). No salt-spray or other test data for 6101 was found.'
  - The USGS 2026 aluminum summary text read here does not mention a critical-minerals list, so no list entry is recorded.
  - The application list has no power-distribution entry, so bus-bar uses are filed under electronics-and-chips.
  - No flight, space, radiation, outgassing or cryogenic record was found for 6101.
  - 'Aluminium share: TubingChina prints 97.6 % and the Wikipedia 6000 series row gives a nominal 98.9 %. Both are shown in the recipe.'
sources:
  righton-6101:
    title: 'Righton Blackburns: Aluminium 6101 T6 Bar and Extrusion datasheet'
    id: EN 573-3 composition for 6101; datasheet updated 05 August 2021
    url: https://www.rightonblackburns.co.uk/datasheets/view/Righton-Blackburns-Ltd_Aluminium-Alloy-6101-T6-Bar-Extrusion-Bar_356.pdf
    year: 2021
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  righton-6101a:
    title: 'Righton Blackburns: Aluminium 6101A T6 Bar and Extrusion datasheet'
    id: EN 573-3 composition for 6101A; EN 755-2 mechanical minimums; datasheet updated 05 August 2021
    url: https://www.rightonblackburns.co.uk/datasheets/view/Righton-Blackburns-Ltd_Aluminium-Alloy-6101A-T6-Bar-Extrusion-Bar_357.pdf
    year: 2021
    kind: datasheet
    license: Supplier datasheet (cited, not reproduced)
  tubingchina:
    title: 'TubingChina: 6101 aluminum properties'
    id: 'Specifications: ASTM B317, SAE J454, UNS A96101'
    url: https://tubingchina.com/6101-aluminum.htm
    kind: web
    license: Supplier web page (cited, not reproduced)
  mfgrobots-b317:
    title: 'MFG Robots: ASTM B317 Grade 6101 (H111) aluminium'
    id: ASTM B317
    url: https://www.mfgrobots.com/Article/material/metal/38668.html
    kind: web
    license: Aggregator web page (cited, not reproduced)
  wiki-6000-series:
    title: 'Wikipedia: 6000 series aluminium alloys'
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6000_series_aluminium_alloy
    year: 2026
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cited, not reproduced)
  hydro-6xxx-sds:
    title: 'Hydro Extrusion: Safety Data Sheet, Wrought Aluminum Products, 6xxx Series Alloys'
    url: https://www.hydro.com/globalassets/01-products--services/extruded-profiles/americas/ena-resources/safety-data-sheets/8-668-6xxx-series.pdf
    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)
  asm-al155:
    title: 'ASM Alloy Digest Al-155: Aluminum 6101 High Conductivity Aluminum Alloy'
    id: Alloy Digest Al-155, 1966 (Reynolds Metals); full text paywalled
    url: https://dl.asminternational.org/alloy-digest/article/15/5/Al-155/1375/ALUMINUM-6101High-Conductivity-Aluminum-Alloy
    year: 1966
    kind: database
    license: Paywalled database (cited, not reproduced)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 9
  unreachable: 6
  caveats: 4
  note: 'Values read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26 from the pages named in each entry. Unreachable or blocked: Hydro 6101A/B datasheet (404), MakeItFrom (403), MaterialsPlus (403), OnlineMetals (403), SuppliersOnline (503), Matmatch (host not found). Caveats: the mechanical rows are for the related grade 6101A; the TubingChina conductivity conflicts slightly with its own body text; the 6101 T6 tensile of 97 MPa on the Righton 6101 datasheet was left out; the hazard classes are for the whole 6xxx series.'
story:
  recipe:
    line: 6101 is a heat-treatable wrought aluminium alloy of the Al-Mg-Si family. Magnesium and silicon are the main alloying elements. Copper, iron, manganese, chromium and zinc are present only in small amounts. The ranges below are the EN 573-3 limits, not a measured composition.
    parts:
      - name: Aluminium
        symbol: Al
        share: balance; 97.6 wt% printed by TubingChina, 98.9 wt% nominal in the Wikipedia 6000 series table
        role: The matrix of the alloy.
      - name: Magnesium
        symbol: Mg
        share: 0.35 to 0.8 wt%
        role: A main alloying element with silicon. Its limits are printed in the EN 573-3 and ASTM B317 composition tables.
      - name: Silicon
        symbol: Si
        share: 0.3 to 0.7 wt%
        role: A main alloying element with magnesium. The Wikipedia nominal row gives 0.5 wt%.
      - name: Iron
        symbol: Fe
        share: up to 0.5 wt%
        role: Impurity limit printed in the EN 573-3 table.
      - name: Copper
        symbol: Cu
        share: up to 0.1 wt%
        role: Impurity limit printed in the EN 573-3 table.
      - name: Zinc
        symbol: Zn
        share: up to 0.1 wt%
        role: Trace limit printed in the EN 573-3 table.
      - name: Manganese
        symbol: Mn
        share: up to 0.03 wt%
        role: Trace limit printed in the EN 573-3 table.
      - name: Chromium
        symbol: Cr
        share: up to 0.03 wt%
        role: Trace limit printed in the EN 573-3 table.
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      level: 1
      verdict: Dust and fume warnings
      lead: The Hydro safety data sheet for the 6xxx series gives dust, fume and environmental warnings for processing. No health data specific to 6101 were found.
      points:
        - label: Machining dust
          line: User-generated dust is easily ignited and difficult to extinguish. Inhaled fume can cause metal fume fever (Hydro SDS, 6xxx series).
        - label: Environment
          line: Small chips, fine turnings and processing dust may be toxic to aquatic life, according to the same sheet.
    - title: If it fails
      lead: The failure routes found in the sources are a drop in strength in softer tempers and higher resistive loss than copper. No corrosion test for 6101 was found.
      points:
        - label: Temper
          line: The H111 tensile strength is 85 MPa, against 32,000 psi tensile in T6 (TubingChina).
        - label: Conductivity
          line: TubingChina gives the conductivity as 56 % of copper in its body text, so a conductor sized as for copper has more resistance.
        - label: Corrosion
          line: Righton rates corrosion resistance as good, with no test result for this grade.
    - title: Handling and storage
      points:
        - label: Dust control
          line: Keep machining dust and fines under control, and avoid breathing dust or fume (Hydro SDS).
        - label: Storage
          line: Keep away from strong acids, strong bases and strong oxidizers, which the sheet lists as incompatible.
  why: 6101 is an Al-Mg-Si alloy made for electrical conductors. In the sources read here its main feature is high electrical conductivity together with moderately high strength. The T6 temper is printed as 57 % IACS conductivity and 32,000 psi tensile strength. Righton Blackburns describes it for enclosed bus-bar conductors and for power transmission and power stations, and ASM describes it for bus conductors.
  uses:
    - where: Bus-bar conductors and power distribution
      line: Righton Blackburns lists electrical busbar conductor applications for enclosed bus installations, and also power transmission and power stations. ASM describes the alloy as recommended for bus conductors.
  can_do:
    - label: Conduct current
      value: 57 % IACS
      benchmark: electrical_conductivity
      line: In T6, TubingChina gives 57 % IACS. Its body text says 56 % of copper, so treat the range as about 56 to 57 %.
    - label: Strength in T6
      value: 32000 psi tensile
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      line: TubingChina prints 32,000 psi tensile and 28,000 psi yield for T6.
    - label: Weight
      value: 0.097 lb/cu.in
      benchmark: density
      line: TubingChina prints density as 0.097 lb per cubic inch and specific gravity as 2.7.
  compare: The sources read here give 6101 its conductivity and strength for the T6 temper only. They do not compare it numerically with the other alloys on this site, so this profile claims no ranking against them.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Density
      benchmark: density
    - label: Electrical conductivity
      benchmark: electrical_conductivity
    - label: Tensile strength
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
  handling:
    - Specify the temper, because the H111 and T6 strengths differ by more than two times.
    - Keep machining dust and fines under control. User-generated dust is easily ignited.
    - Keep the alloy away from strong acids, strong bases and strong oxidizers.
  good_for:
    - Enclosed bus-bar conductors, where the datasheets name it for electrical power distribution.
    - Parts where conductivity matters more than peak strength, per the ASM description of the alloy.
  watch_out:
    - 'Temper changes strength a great deal: H111 tensile 85 MPa against 32,000 psi in T6.'
    - Conductivity is printed as 57 % IACS in one table and as 56 % of copper in the body text of the same page.
    - The 97 MPa tensile figure on the Righton 6101 T6 datasheet conflicts with the other values and was not used.
  verdict: 6101 is a bus-bar conductor alloy. The sources support its use for electrical conductors, with strength that depends strongly on temper. The sources read here are thin and partly conflict, so check a mill certificate or the EN 755 or ASTM B317 product standard before design.