Aluminium Coil Plate Alloy 1060 1100
If you follow a sheet of aluminium back through the supply chain, it eventually stops being a “product” and becomes a recipe. For 1060 and 1100 alloy coil plates, that recipe is intentionally simple. They sit at the very pure end of the aluminium family, often overshadowed by their high‑strength cousins like 6061 or 7075. Yet in factories, transformer workshops, chemical plants and even clean‑room air ducts, these two unassuming alloys quietly do the everyday work that more glamorous grades are simply not suited for.
Purity as a Design Choice, Not a Limitation
Both 1060 and 1100 belong to the 1xxx series of commercially pure aluminium.
Alloy 1060 typically contains at least 99.6% aluminium. The remainder is a narrow band of iron, silicon and trace elements. Its defining feature is absence: almost no copper, no magnesium, no zinc. Every missing element is a missing complication in welding, corrosion behavior, and electrical performance.
Alloy 1100 is slightly less pure, usually at least 99.0% aluminium. That small difference opens a narrow but useful window for minor additions that improve processing, especially for deep drawing and more complex forming. The alloy retains the “pure aluminium” character but offers a touch more versatility where 1060 might be just a bit too soft or too sensitive in forming.
In a world that often chases higher mechanical strength and exotic compositions, 1060 and 1100 demonstrate that sometimes “less” really does solve more engineering problems.
Chemical Composition: Simplicity on Paper
Typical chemical composition ranges are:
Alloy 1060 (wt.%):
Al: ≥ 99.60
Si: ≤ 0.25
Fe: ≤ 0.35
Cu: ≤ 0.05
Mn: ≤ 0.03
Mg: ≤ 0.03
Zn: ≤ 0.05
Ti: ≤ 0.03
Others (each): ≤ 0.03
Others (total): ≤ 0.10
Alloy 1100 (wt.%):
Al: ≥ 99.00
Si + Fe: ≤ 0.95
Cu: 0.05–0.20
Mn: ≤ 0.05
Mg: ≤ 0.05
Zn: ≤ 0.10
Ti: ≤ 0.05
Others (each): ≤ 0.05
Others (total): ≤ 0.15
That tiny controlled addition of copper in 1100 — as little as a few tenths of a percent — slightly strengthens the alloy and can modify work‑hardening and surface behavior, while still preserving excellent corrosion resistance in many environments.
Mechanical Properties: Soft by Design
Coil plate in these alloys is commonly supplied in soft to half‑hard tempers. Instead of thinking about “weakness,” it helps to see softness as capability: the ability to bend sharply, be drawn into complex shapes, and absorb forming stresses without cracking.
Typical room‑temperature mechanical properties (approximate, dependent on thickness and standard):
1060 H18 (full hard):
Tensile strength: about 110–145 MPa
Yield strength: about 95–125 MPa
Elongation (typical): 2–5%
1060 O (annealed):
Tensile strength: about 60–100 MPa
Yield strength: about 15–35 MPa
Elongation: 20–35% or higher
1100 H14 (half hard):
Tensile strength: about 110–145 MPa
Yield strength: about 95–125 MPa
Elongation: typically 5–15%
1100 O (annealed):
Tensile strength: about 70–110 MPa
Yield strength: about 20–35 MPa
Elongation: 25–35% or higher
Within the same alloy, coil that is later annealed behaves like a different material compared with the work‑hardened version. Designers who treat tempers as a tunable parameter, not an afterthought, can push these alloys a long way in demanding forming operations.
Tempering and Coil Behavior: Controlling “Memory”
In pure aluminium coil plate, temper is essentially the language you use to talk to the metal.
O temper (fully annealed) wipes the slate clean. Residual stresses are minimized, grain structure is softened, and the sheet loses most of its “memory.” This is critical in deep drawing, spinning, and tight‑radius bending. It is also important for transformer windings, where even minor residual stress can change long‑term performance.
H14, H16, H18 and similar work‑hardened tempers are created through controlled cold rolling without subsequent annealing. Each step of cold reduction raises strength, reduces elongation, and increases spring‑back. For coil plate used in components that must hold shape—such as decorative panels, signage, or thin structural skins—these tempers provide enough rigidity while still offering usable formability.
There is no heat‑treatable strengthening for 1060 or 1100 like there is for 6xxx or 2xxx alloys. All the “tuning” happens with rolling and annealing. That simplicity often leads to more predictable processing and fewer surprises in production.
Electrical and Thermal Conductivity: Where 1060 and 1100 Really Shine
If you were to rank common engineering metals by electrical conductivity, 1060 aluminium would sit near the top, behind only high‑purity copper and a few special conductors. This is not incidental — it is precisely why 1060 coil plate and strip are mainstays in:
- Transformer windings and foil
- Busbars (in some designs)
- Power electronics cooling and current‑carrying elements
- Battery system components where low mass and conductivity matter
Typical electrical conductivity values:
- 1060: about 55–61% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard)
- 1100: about 50–57% IACS
Thermal conductivity is also high, commonly in the range of roughly 220–235 W/m·K for these alloys. This combination of electrical and thermal performance, paired with low density, explains why many engineers quietly choose 1060 or 1100 over copper when weight reduction or formability becomes important.
Corrosion Resistance: A Natural Oxide Shield
High‑purity aluminium has an advantage that never appears on a drawing: its tendency to protect itself. 1060 and 1100 form a thin, adherent oxide layer that resists many types of corrosion in:
- Neutral and mildly acidic aqueous environments
- Atmospheric conditions, including urban and many industrial atmospheres
- Many food‑processing and pharmaceutical environments when properly finished and cleaned
The absence of significant amounts of copper and magnesium means reduced risk of galvanic microcells within the alloy itself, helping maintain uniform corrosion behavior. In cladding and roofing, this translates to surfaces that weather slowly and often quite gracefully.
However, in strongly alkaline solutions or highly chloride‑rich environments, even these alloys need careful consideration, surface treatment, or protective coatings.
Surface and Form: From Mirror to Matte
Because 1060 and 1100 are so soft and clean, surface finish becomes a powerful design parameter. Coil plate can be delivered as:
- Mill finish, suitable for general forming and industrial use
- Bright or mirror‑finish, used in reflectors, lighting, and decorative trim
- Embossed or textured, for anti‑slip applications or aesthetic facades
- Brushed or satin, for visible architectural elements
The purity of the alloy helps in producing consistent anodizing results. While 5xxx and 6xxx alloys can offer harder anodic layers, 1xxx alloys often provide cleaner, more uniform color and reflectivity, which is critical in optical and lighting applications.
Standards and Implementation Frames
In most regions, 1060 and 1100 coil plates do not stand alone; they live inside established frameworks of product and quality standards. Common references include:
- ASTM B209 for aluminium and aluminium‑alloy sheet and plate
- EN 485 and EN 573 series in Europe for composition, mechanical properties and tolerances
- GB/T standards in China for 1xxx series aluminium sheet and strip
- ISO 6361 for wrought aluminium plates, sheets and strips
Dimensional ranges are broad. Coils in 1060 and 1100 can be supplied from very thin foil‑like gauges (tens of micrometers) up into several millimeters of thickness, with widths spanning from narrow strips to full‑width coils exceeding 1500 mm. Tolerances on thickness, flatness and edge quality can be tailored depending on usage—from transformer foils requiring extreme uniformity to general fabrication sheets where standard tolerances are sufficient.
Where 1060 and 1100 Quietly Outperform
When choosing an aluminium alloy, it is tempting to start from the highest strength available. But look closely at many real‑world applications and different priorities emerge.
In transformer manufacturing, the critical parameters are conductivity, dimensional accuracy, and the ability to wind tightly without cracking. Here, a fully annealed 1060 or 1100 coil is close to ideal.
In chemical and food equipment, weldability, cleanliness and resistance to many liquids matter more than yield strength. 1100, with its excellent weldability and stable oxide film, becomes a natural choice for tanks, piping, and heat‑exchanger fins.
In architectural applications—facades, soffits, interior cladding—light weight, corrosion resistance and attractive surface finish dominate. Coil‑coated 1100 or 1060 panels can be formed into complex geometries without unpredictable cracking, then installed with confidence that they will weather consistently.
A Material That Refuses to Be Over‑Engineered
In an era of complicated materials science, 1060 and 1100 coil plates stand as a reminder that simplicity can still be advanced engineering. Their near‑pure chemistry, controllable tempers, stable corrosion behavior and outstanding conductivity make them almost elemental tools in the designer’s kit.
Viewed from the right angle, these alloys are not “basic” at all. They are highly specialized solutions for problems where reliability, processability, and functional performance matter more than ultimate strength. When a project demands aluminium that bends easily, conducts readily, welds cleanly, and quietly lasts for decades, alloy 1060 and 1100 coil plates often provide the most elegant answer.
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