Aluminum is one of the most used conductive materials in the manufacture and construction of electrical power distribution components and equipment. As a heat treatable wrought alloy, 6101 aluminum is best suited to these applications, which require moderate strength and maximum electrical conductivity.

A variety of factors must be considered in bus design. Aluminum is desirable for bus conductors because it is only one-third the weight of copper, dissipates heat rapidly, is lightweight but very strong and highly corrosion resistant, and conducts an equal amount of electrical power with only half as much material weight as copper. With these properties, alloy 6101 also makes an excellent choice for electrical projects other than bus conductors.

Alloy 6101 Tempers

Alloy 6101 is available in various temper conditions and, consequently, does not need additional heat treatment. The wide variety of tempers provides different strengths, formability, and electrical conductivity levels, allowing for greater design flexibility.

• F
  As fabricated. No special control has been performed to the heat treatment or strain hardening after the shaping process (e.g., casting, hot working, or cold working).
• T6
  Solution heat treated and artificially aged.
• T61
  An over-aged temper with higher conductivity but lower mechanical properties than -T6.
• T63
  An “in-between” temper with higher conductivity than T6, but less than T61.
• T64
  Partially annealed temper; the highest conductivity and best temper for maximum formability.
• T65
  Has medium strength and conductivity, as well as a controlled range of tensile and yield strengths to help control bending reproducibility.

Alloy 6101 Properties

6101 alloy is similar to 6063 alloy, but has minor chemistry changes that enhance its electrical conductivity. Although slightly lower in conductivity than alloy 1350, it offers greater strength.

The alloy is easily extruded and offers better machinability than 1XXX alloy series. It has good forming and welding characteristics, corrosion resistance, bendability, electrical and thermal conductivity, and is easily cold worked in either the annealed or aged conditions.