5456-H111 Aluminum vs. 5456-H116 Aluminum

Last Updated : Jan. 03, 2025

The 5456 aluminum alloy series is typically used in applications that require high strength and corrosion resistance, such as in the shipbuilding, marine, and construction fields. It offers good weldability and resistance to saltwater corrosion, making it particularly popular in marine environments.

• 5456-H116 outperforms 5456-H111 in most mechanical properties, especially in strength, elasticity, ductility, and fatigue resistance, making it suitable for high-strength, high-load, and dynamic load applications.
• 5456-H111, on the other hand, is suitable for lighter loads, static applications, or situations where high strength is not required.

Although both alloys have similar thermal, electrical, and general properties, 5456-H116 typically offers better mechanical performance, particularly in terms of strength and elasticity. If higher strength and durability are required, 5456-H116 is the preferred choice.

Comparison Table of 5456-H111 and 5456-H116 Aluminum Alloys

Applications of 5456 H111 and 5456 H116 Aluminum Alloys

The applications of 5456 H111 and 5456 H116 aluminum alloys are mainly seen in marine environments, shipbuilding, and structures requiring corrosion resistance. Although both are high-strength aluminum alloys, their differences in strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance make them suitable for different application scenarios.

• 5456-H111: Suitable for applications that do not bear heavy external forces or have smaller loads, such as lightweight marine structures and construction. Its corrosion resistance is excellent, making it ideal for relatively mild environments.
• 5456-H116: Suitable for applications that bear larger loads and high-impact environments, such as heavy-load ship structures, marine platforms, or other industrial applications that require long-term exposure to repetitive loads.

Applications of 5456 H111 Aluminum Alloy

5456 H111 aluminum alloy is characterized by its excellent corrosion resistance, making it suitable for applications that do not have high strength requirements. While its strength is relatively lower, it has excellent resistance to seawater corrosion and is easy to process.

Application Areas:

Lightweight Marine Structures

Application examples: Interior fittings of lightweight ships, structural frames, marine buoys, etc. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, it is often used in structures exposed to seawater environments, such as dock and platform supports or lighter facilities exposed to marine conditions.

Feature Requirements: While structural strength requirements are relatively low, corrosion resistance and weather resistance are important design considerations.

Non-load-bearing Structures in Architecture and Marine Engineering

Application examples: Building facades, non-structural components of bridges, and some marine engineering guardrails or coverings. As the aluminum alloy in the H111 condition has better performance under light loads, it is suitable for decorative or protective components that do not require high strength.

Feature Requirements: In highly corrosive environments, it should maintain good appearance and performance, suitable for components not directly subjected to heavy loads.

Other Applications with High Corrosion Resistance Requirements

Application examples: Marine shore facilities, oil spill barriers, fishing boat frames and equipment supports, etc. The H111 condition has good workability and surface treatment performance, so it is often used to manufacture components requiring high corrosion resistance but not needing to bear large loads.

Feature Requirements: High resistance to corrosion is required, but strength is relatively secondary.

Advantages:

Corrosion Resistance: It can maintain a long service life in corrosive environments such as salt mist, moisture, and seawater.

Good Formability: It has good machinability, suitable for some processing treatments.

5456 H116 Aluminum Alloy Applications

Compared to H111 condition aluminum alloys, 5456 H116 has higher strength, especially suitable for applications that need to bear larger external forces or repetitive loads. Aluminum alloy in the H116 condition has significant improvements in toughness, strength, and corrosion resistance, making it suitable for high-strength applications.

Application Areas:

High-load Ship Structures

Application examples: High-load ship hull structures, internal frames, and supports of ships, etc. 5456 H116 aluminum alloy is commonly used in the load-bearing structures of the hull, especially in areas that need to withstand large impacts and wave pressures.

Feature Requirements: High strength and impact toughness are required, and the material must be able to withstand long-term exposure to seawater, requiring excellent corrosion resistance.

Offshore Platforms

Application examples: Structural supports, platform frames, and bridges of offshore oil and gas platforms. Since offshore platforms are exposed to harsh environments for extended periods, materials must have high corrosion resistance and load-bearing capacity. 5456 aluminum alloy in the H116 condition, with its higher tensile strength and fatigue resistance, is suitable for these high-load structures.

Feature Requirements: In addition to corrosion resistance, the material must withstand long-term dynamic loads and impacts, requiring higher strength and fatigue durability.

Industrial Applications Requiring Long-term Repetitive Load-bearing

Application examples: Frames and supporting structures of heavy industrial equipment or transportation equipment. Materials for such applications need to bear repeated mechanical loads and impacts while maintaining long-term durability. 5456 H116 aluminum alloy performs excellently in this environment and can effectively resist the formation of fatigue cracks.

Feature Requirements: The material should maintain strength stability and resist crack formation under high loads and frequent pressure changes.

Heavy Ship Components and Marine Equipment

Application examples: Outer shells of large ships, cargo holds, and other structural components. As these structures are typically exposed to harsh marine environments, materials need high strength and excellent corrosion resistance. 5456 H116 aluminum alloy meets these requirements.

Feature Requirements: The material must withstand impact loads in marine environments, seawater corrosion, and temperature fluctuations, requiring strong mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.

Advantages:

High Strength and Corrosion Resistance: 5456 H116 aluminum alloy not only provides higher strength to meet the needs of applications with large loads, but it also maintains excellent seawater corrosion resistance.

Good Fatigue Durability: It can effectively resist repetitive loads and impacts, handling the fatigue stresses of long-term use.

5456 H111 vs 5456 H116 Aluminum Mechanical Property Comparison

• Tensile Strength and Yield Strength: H116 outperforms H111 in both of these aspects, making it suitable for high-strength structures.
• Elongation and Elasticity: H116 provides better ductility and elasticity, performing better under impact or high-load environments.
• Fatigue and Shear Strength: H116 also outperforms H111 in these aspects, making it suitable for applications requiring higher durability.

5456-H116 outperforms 5456-H111 in strength, ductility, elasticity, and fatigue resistance, making it especially suitable for high-strength, dynamic load, and high-impact applications such as ships, offshore platforms, and other high-load structural components. For applications requiring better performance and longer durability, 5456-H116 is the preferred choice.

5456-H111 is suitable for some light-load applications or where strength requirements are not as high, such as certain buildings and marine facilities.

The choice should be made based on the specific application environment and load requirements. If higher strength, better durability, and greater toughness are needed, 5456-H116 will be the more suitable material.

5456-H111 Aluminum vs. 5456-H116 Aluminum Thermal Properties

5456-H111 Aluminum vs. 5456-H116 Aluminum Electrical Properties

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Common Calculations

Further reading: 5456 5454 5754 Marine Grade Aluminum Bar 5456 Marine Grade Aluminum Plate Sheet Marine Grade Aluminum Round Bar 5754 5454 5456 5456 H111 Aluminum 5456 H112 Aluminum 5456 H116 Aluminum 5456 H32 Aluminum 5456 H321 Aluminum 5456 O Aluminum

Tags: Marine Aluminum 5456 5 Series Marine Aluminum