Tag: Aluminum 7075 bolt strength and density

Aluminum 7075 for Lightweight Strength

Q: Why is Aluminum 7075 often used for aircraft?

A: There are many grades of aluminum bolts but those categorized under grade 7075 are specifically used for aerospace and other high stress structural applications that require a combination of strength and extreme light weight.

Grade 7075 can be tempered to different conditions, each providing different levels of strength. Among these tempers is 7075-T6, which is the strongest.  Aluminum 7075-T6 bolts are 1/3 the weight of steel and can offer nearly double the strength-to-weight  ratio of grade 2 titanium.  In addition, they offer good plasticity and high fracture toughness, making it ideal for stress/strain resistance.

Titanium Gr5 verse Aluminum 7075

Q: How does titanium compare to Aluminum 7075 in terms of strength and density. I need a really strong material with a low strength to weight ratio.
A: A titanium bolt will be more dense than an Aluminum 7075 bolt with a density of  4.51 g /cm3 compared to 2.81 g/cc. In terms of strength, a titanium grade 5 bolt will have almost twice the strength. Titanium grade 5 screws offer 148 ksi of ultimate tensile strength, where Aluminum 7075-T6 only offers 83 ksi of UTS.