Aluminium Alloy Grades 1050, 1060, 1100, 1235, 3003, 3004 and 8011: Properties, Tempers and Uses
AI Summary
- Vishal Aluminium Pvt. Ltd., an Ahmedabad based manufacturer and exporter of aluminium rolled products since 1986, supplies coils, sheets, strips and foils in seven alloys: 1050, 1060, 1100, 1235, 3003, 3004 and 8011.
- The 1000 series grades (1050, 1060, 1100 and 1235) are at least 99 percent aluminium and are chosen for conductivity, ductility and thin gauge rolling, while 3003, 3004 and 8011 add manganese, magnesium, iron or silicon for extra strength.
- Each alloy has a clear home: 1050 and 1060 for electrical and winding uses, 1100 for fin stock and drawn parts, 1235 for very thin foil, 3003 for formed parts with more strength, 3004 for stiffer containers and building products, and 8011 for closures and pharma foil.
- The most useful comparisons are 1050 vs 1060 for conductivity, 1100 vs 3003 for strength, 3003 vs 3004 for down gauging, and 1235 vs 8011 for foil.
- Buyers should confirm the alloy, temper and test certificate with the mill, because the same grade can behave very differently in a different temper or gauge.
What Do the Four Digits in an Aluminium Alloy Number Tell You?
Every wrought aluminium alloy carries a four digit number under the international designation system, and once you know how to read it, the number itself tells you a great deal about the metal. The first digit names the series and the main alloying element. A 1 means commercially pure aluminium, a 3 means manganese is the main addition, and an 8 is used for alloys based on other elements such as iron and silicon. In the 1000 series the last two digits show the minimum aluminium content above 99 percent, so 1050 contains at least 99.50 percent aluminium, 1060 at least 99.60 percent, 1100 at least 99.00 percent and 1235 at least 99.35 percent. The second digit shows whether impurity limits are specially controlled, which is why 1235 is not simply a less pure version of 1050. In the 3000 and 8000 series the last two digits are an identifying number rather than a purity figure, so 3003 and 3004 are two different recipes from the same manganese family. In North America the same grades are written with the spelling aluminum, as in aluminum 3003 or aluminum 1100, but the metal and the numbers are identical.
What Is the Chemical Composition of Each Aluminium Alloy?
The table below gives the main composition limits for each grade under the international registration. Single figures are maximum limits, ranges show the required band for that element, and the last column shows the minimum aluminium content or that aluminium makes up the remainder. Other trace elements such as zinc and titanium are also controlled but are left out here for clarity.
Alloy | Silicon (Si) | Iron (Fe) | Copper (Cu) | Manganese (Mn) | Magnesium (Mg) | Aluminium (Al) |
1050 | 0.25 | 0.40 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 99.50 min |
1060 | 0.25 | 0.35 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 99.60 min |
1100 | Si + Fe 0.95 |
| 0.05 to 0.20 | 0.05 |
| 99.00 min |
1235 | Si + Fe 0.65 |
| 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 99.35 min |
3003 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.05 to 0.20 | 1.0 to 1.5 |
| Remainder |
3004 | 0.30 | 0.7 | 0.25 | 1.0 to 1.5 | 0.8 to 1.3 | Remainder |
8011 | 0.50 to 0.9 | 0.6 to 1.0 | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.05 | Remainder |
Two patterns stand out. The pure grades keep every addition very low, which protects conductivity and softness. The alloyed grades add a controlled amount of one or two elements, and that small addition is what gives them their extra strength without heat treatment.
What Is Aluminium 1050 Used For?
Aluminium 1050 is the workhorse of the pure grades. With at least 99.5 percent aluminium it combines high electrical and thermal conductivity with excellent ductility, so it can be bent, spun, drawn and wound without cracking. Its corrosion resistance is very good, and it takes surface finishes such as polishing and coating well. The trade off is low strength, which means 1050 is chosen where the part is supported, formed into shape or valued for conductivity rather than for carrying load. Typical rolled product uses include lamp caps for bulbs and tube lights, cable wrap and cable insulation stock, insulation coils, reflectors, signage sheets and number plate coils, as well as soft winding strip. It is most often specified in O temper for winding and deep forming, in H12 or H14 where a little stiffness helps, and in harder tempers for flat signage. At Vishal Aluminium, 1050 is supplied as coils, strips and sheets, with strip slit to narrow widths from 9 mm for electrical customers.
What Makes Aluminium 1060 Different From 1050?
Aluminium 1060 is the purest grade in this group, with a minimum of 99.6 percent aluminium and tighter limits on iron, manganese and magnesium. That extra purity gives it slightly higher electrical conductivity than 1050, which matters most in transformer windings and busbar style applications where every small gain in conductivity reduces losses over the life of the equipment. It is also very soft in the annealed condition, so it winds tightly and conforms well around formers. The extra purity comes with marginally lower strength, so 1060 is rarely the right choice for parts that must hold their shape on their own. In practice, transformer manufacturers often specify 1060 or 1050 in O temper for winding strip, gasket makers use it for soft sealing stock, and heat transfer parts use it for its thermal performance. Vishal Aluminium supplies 1060 as strip and as coils with paper interlayer, which protect the soft surface from rub marks in transit and during unwinding on the winding machine.
Why Is Aluminium 1100 Popular for Fin Stock and Drawn Parts?
Aluminium 1100 contains at least 99 percent aluminium plus a small, controlled copper addition of 0.05 to 0.20 percent. That copper gives it a little more strength than 1050 while keeping very good formability, and it is one of the reasons 1100 draws and spins so reliably. It still offers good conductivity and corrosion resistance, so it suits applications that need some forming strength without moving into the alloyed grades. Common uses include HVAC fin stock and radiator fin stock, ACP stock, aluminium circles for utensils, eyelets, caps and general sheet work. Fin stock makers value 1100 because it forms cleanly into collars on high speed fin presses, while utensil and circle makers value its behaviour in deep drawing and spinning. It is usually specified in O temper for drawn and spun parts, and in tempers from H14 to H18 for flat or lightly formed work. Buyers in the USA and Canada often search for it as aluminum 1100 or aluminum 1100 H14, and the specification is the same under either spelling.
Why Is Aluminium 1235 Chosen for Thin Foil?
Aluminium 1235 is a pure grade designed with foil in mind. Its minimum aluminium content is 99.35 percent, and its combined silicon and iron limit is controlled so that the metal rolls cleanly to very thin gauges with fewer defects. That is why 1235 is a standard choice for household and kitchen foil, cable foil and foil used in laminates, where it is rolled down to just a few microns and then supported by paper or film. In O temper it is soft and conformable, which suits wrapping and lamination. Its strength at thin gauge is lower than 8011, so where a foil must resist puncture, hold a formed shape or survive a demanding sealing process, buyers usually move to 8011 instead. At Vishal Aluminium, foil is rolled down to 0.009 mm, or 9 microns, on a high speed foil rolling mill and divided on a foil separator, and 1235 is one of the alloys offered for foil applications where softness and thin gauge matter more than strength.
Where Is Aluminium 3003 Used?
Aluminium 3003, known in North America as aluminum 3003, is the most widely used manganese alloy. Its 1.0 to 1.5 percent manganese makes it noticeably stronger than 1100 while keeping good formability and very good corrosion resistance, which makes it a natural step up when a pure grade is not quite strong enough. It is used for HVAC fin stock, foil containers, flexible duct stock, ACP stock, insulation cladding, roofing and general formed sheet parts. The most frequently quoted condition is 3003 H14, a half hard temper that balances stiffness with the ability to bend and form, and it is often the first specification engineers reach for in sheet work. Softer O and H22 tempers suit containers and ducting, while H24 and harder tempers suit flat panels and cladding. Vishal Aluminium supplies 3003 as coils, sheets, strips and foils, so the same approved grade can be bought in whichever form suits the production line.
What Is Aluminium 3004 and When Should You Use It?
Aluminium 3004 builds on 3003 by adding 0.8 to 1.3 percent magnesium alongside the manganese. The magnesium raises strength significantly, so 3004 is clearly stronger than 3003 in the same temper while still forming well. Globally it is best known as the alloy used for beverage can bodies, and it is also used for building sheet, roofing and siding, storage tanks, lamp bases, containers, closures and general engineering parts that need more stiffness than 3003 can offer. Its higher strength opens an important option for buyers: a part made from 3004 can often be designed at a thinner gauge than the same part in 3003, which reduces weight per part. Because it is harder to form at full hard tempers, it is often specified in intermediate tempers such as H24 or H26 to balance strength with formability. Alloy 3004 is a new addition to the Vishal Aluminium range, extending its offer for customers who need extra strength in rolled products.
Why Is Aluminium 8011 Used for Closures and Pharma Foil?
Aluminium 8011 adds 0.50 to 0.9 percent silicon and 0.6 to 1.0 percent iron to aluminium. These additions create a fine grain structure, which gives the alloy useful strength at thin gauge and very consistent behaviour in deep drawing. That combination has made 8011 the standard alloy for PP caps and closure stock, vial seals, blister foils, pharma foils, foil containers and lidding, as well as an option for HVAC fin stock. For closures it is commonly specified in tempers such as H14 or H16 so that caps draw cleanly and hold their thread. For blister and pharma foil a hard H18 temper is common, while soft O temper suits household foil and harder intermediate tempers suit container stock. Searches for aluminium 8011 chemical composition are common because pharma and packaging buyers must match their approved specification exactly. Vishal Aluminium supplies 8011 as foil and as coil and sheet for closure stock, rolled, annealed and slit in house to the hardness and width each cap or foil line requires.
How Do the Most Commonly Compared Alloys Differ?
Most alloy questions come down to a choice between two neighbouring grades. The table below shows when each one is the better fit.
Comparison | Choose the first when | Choose the second when |
1050 vs 1060 | General electrical, lamp cap and signage work where 1050 is the established grade | Maximum conductivity is needed, such as in transformer winding strip |
1100 vs 3003 | Deep drawing, spinning and fin collars need the easiest forming | The part needs more strength and stiffness while still being formed |
3003 vs 3004 | Good formability matters more than strength | Extra strength or a thinner gauge is the goal, such as for containers and building sheet |
1235 vs 8011 | Very thin, soft foil for household use or lamination | Foil or coil must resist puncture, draw consistently or meet a pharma or closure specification |
1100 vs 8011 for fin stock | Fin collars must form at high speed with excellent ductility | A balance of strength and formability is preferred for the fin design |
How Do These Alloys Compare on Key Properties?
The ratings below compare the seven grades with each other rather than with aluminium alloys in general. They give a quick view of where each grade stands before the exact temper and gauge are chosen.
Alloy | Electrical conductivity | Formability | Strength | Thin foil rolling |
1050 | Very high | Excellent | Low | Good |
1060 | Highest | Excellent | Lowest | Good |
1100 | High | Excellent | Low to moderate | Good |
1235 | High | Excellent | Low | Excellent |
3003 | Moderate | Very good | Moderate | Good |
3004 | Moderate | Good | High | Limited |
8011 | High | Very good | Moderate at thin gauge | Excellent |
How Does Alloy Choice Affect Cost and Yield?
Alloy choice affects cost in two ways that are easy to overlook. The first is the price of the metal itself, which follows the aluminium market and the alloying additions, so a pure grade and an alloyed grade of the same size may not cost the same per kg. The second, and often larger, effect is yield. Because rolled aluminium is bought by weight but used by area or by number of parts, a stronger alloy that allows a thinner gauge can produce more parts from every kg purchased. Moving a formed part from 3003 to 3004, for example, may allow a lighter gauge that still passes its strength test, which can offset any difference in price per kg. The reverse also applies: specifying a stronger alloy than the part needs adds cost and can make forming harder without any benefit. The most economical approach is to compare quotations on a cost per finished part basis and to trial a lighter gauge in the stronger alloy before committing to a bulk order.
How Can You Verify the Alloy You Receive?
Because different grades look identical, buyers should never rely on appearance or labels alone. The first safeguard is the test certificate, which should state the alloy, the temper, the batch or coil number and the results of the mechanical tests for that lot. The second is traceability. When every coil carries a unique batch number, any question about composition or behaviour can be traced back to its production and test records, and a problem lot can be isolated quickly. The third is incoming inspection at the buyer’s plant, where simple checks of thickness, width, hardness or tensile properties confirm that the material matches the order before it enters production. Many converters also carry out a trial run whenever they approve a new supplier or change alloy, since behaviour on the line is the final proof. Vishal Aluminium supports this process with a fully equipped laboratory for physical and mechanical testing and 100 percent traceability through unique ID batch numbers for all materials and processes.
Which Vishal Aluminium Products Use Each Alloy?
Vishal Aluminium has manufactured aluminium rolled products for more than 40 years from two plants near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with an annual capacity of 36,000 MT. It uses DC route materials for specialised rolled products and CC route materials for commercial products, and in 2026 it added a 2200 mm wide continuous caster line and a hydrophilic coating line for HVAC fin stock. The table below links each alloy to the products and applications it most often serves in the company’s range.
Alloy | Vishal Aluminium products | Typical applications served |
1050 | Aluminium Strips, Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Sheets | Lamp caps, cable wrap, insulation coils, signage, winding strip |
1060 | Aluminium Strips, Aluminium Coils with Paper Interlayer | Transformer winding coils, gaskets, heat transfer parts |
1100 | Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Sheets, Aluminium Strips | HVAC and radiator fin stock, ACP stock, aluminium circles, eyelets |
1235 | Aluminium Foils | Kitchen and house foils, cable foil, laminates |
3003 | Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Sheets, Aluminium Foils, Colour Coated Aluminium Coils | Fin stock, foil containers, flexible duct, insulation cladding |
3004 | Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Sheets | Containers, closures, building sheet, general engineering |
8011 | Aluminium Foils, Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Oscillate Coils | PP caps closure stock, vial seals, blister and pharma foils, foil containers |
Every alloy is available across the company’s thickness range of 0.009 mm to 4 mm and width range of 9 mm to 1450 mm, subject to the product form, with the exact alloy, temper and size confirmed for each order.
Conclusion
Seven alloys cover almost every need in aluminium rolled products, and each one earns its place for a clear reason. The pure grades 1050 and 1060 lead on conductivity, 1100 leads on easy forming, 1235 leads on very thin foil, 3003 and 3004 add progressively more strength, and 8011 delivers strength and consistency at thin gauge for closures and pharma foil. Reading the alloy number, checking the composition and comparing neighbouring grades side by side makes the choice far simpler, and pairing the right alloy with the right temper and gauge is what turns a good specification into reliable production. If you are deciding between two grades or reviewing an existing specification, share your application and current material with the technical team at Vishal Aluminium through www.vishalaluminium.com, and they can recommend the alloy, temper and form that suit your line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aluminium Alloy Grades 1050, 1060, 1100, 1235, 3003, 3004 and 8011: Properties, Tempers and Uses
Is aluminium 3003 stronger than 1100?
Yes. The manganese in 3003 makes it noticeably stronger than 1100 in the same temper, while it still forms well.
Is aluminium 3004 heat treatable?
No. Like 3003, alloy 3004 is not heat treatable. Its strength comes from its manganese and magnesium content and from cold work during rolling.
Is 1060 purer than 1050?
Yes. Aluminium 1060 contains at least 99.60 percent aluminium, compared with at least 99.50 percent for 1050.
What does H14 mean in aluminium 3003 H14?
H14 means the 3003 has been strain hardened by cold rolling to a half hard condition. It is one of the most commonly specified tempers for formed sheet work.
Can aluminium 3004 replace 3003?
Often, yes, when more strength or a thinner gauge is wanted. Because 3004 is stronger and slightly less formable, the temper and gauge should be confirmed on a trial lot before switching.
Which alloy is used for PP caps and closures?
Alloy 8011 is the standard choice for PP caps and closure stock because it draws consistently and holds its shape at thin gauge.
Is aluminum 3003 the same as aluminium 3003?
Yes. Aluminum is the North American spelling and aluminium is used in India, the UK and most other countries. The alloy number and specification are the same.
Which aluminium alloys does Vishal Aluminium supply?
Vishal Aluminium supplies 1050, 1060, 1100, 1235, 3003, 3004 and 8011 in coils, sheets, strips and foils, with alloy 3004 being the newest addition to its range.
Managing Director, Vishal Aluminium Pvt. Ltd.
With more than two decades of experience in the aluminium rolled products industry, Mr. Vishal C. Shah leads Vishal Aluminium Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturer and exporter of Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Foils, Aluminium Sheets and Aluminium Strips based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. He holds a BSc in Information Technology and a Diploma in Import Export. He joined the business in 2003, gained hands on experience across manufacturing, quality, HR, administration, new product development and business development, and started Vishal Aluminium in 2019. Under his leadership the company has grown by 15 to 20 percent a year since 2010 and has entered export markets including the USA, Canada, Europe, Nigeria and the Middle East. He has travelled to more than 20 countries to develop business and explore new opportunities.
Vishal Aluminium, together with its group company Jagdish Aluminium Pvt. Ltd., has been serving industry for 40 years with in house manufacturing, 100 percent traceability of materials and an annual capacity of 36,000 MT. Its product portfolio includes Aluminium Coils, Aluminium Strips, Aluminium Sheets, Aluminium Foils, Aluminium Mirror Polish Foils, Colour Coated Aluminium Coils and Foils, Aluminium Coils with Paper Interlayer and Aluminium Oscillate Coils, used for bottle caps and closures, HVAC fin stock, pharma and blister foils, transformer winding coils and cable wrap. Mr. Shah is committed to expanding the global reach of Indian aluminium rolled products and to sharing practical knowledge that helps manufacturers choose the right material.