Aluminum Al-Ce
Al-Ce is a cerium-modified aluminum alloy developed for laser powder bed fusion, strengthened by a thermally stable Al11Ce3 eutectic network instead of precipitates that coarsen on exposure.
Reference datasheet — Al-Ce is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the AB condition
Al-Ce tempers and conditions
Al-Ce is supplied in 6 conditions, soft to hard. AB is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 6 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
As fabricated | Choose the lowest-cost heat-resistant casting state when good fluidity and near-freedom from hot cracking matter more than room-temperature strength (115 MPa yield) from the coarse as-cast structure. | 115 | 200 | 5 | 62 HB | 38 % IACS |
Solution heat treated and artificially aged | Pick for Mg/Si-bearing cast variants that are solution treated and artificially aged: Mg2Si precipitation raises yield to 215 MPa while Ce phases hold 300 °C stability, but elongation drops to 3 %. | 215 | 280 | 3 | 90 HB | 34 % IACS |
Hot isostatic pressed | Specify for fatigue-critical load-bearing parts: 500 °C/100 MPa/2 h closes internal gas porosity and raises elongation to 16 %, trading yield strength down to 240 MPa. | 240 | 350 | 16 | 92 HV | 36 % IACS |
Stress relieved | Pick as the standard post-print step for thin-wall, complex or to-be-machined prints: 300 °C/2 h with furnace cooling removes residual stress and lifts elongation to 12 % with minimal strength loss. | 275 | 385 | 12 | 96 HB | 33 % IACS |
ABDefault As built (as printed) | Choose the default as-built LPBF state when you need the highest room-temperature strength (320 MPa yield, 420 MPa tensile) on simple geometries that tolerate residual stress. | 320 | 420 | 8 | 100 HB | 28 % IACS |
Cooled from hot working and artificially aged | Use for Zr/Mn/Sc-bearing variants: direct artificial aging at ~350-400 °C precipitates Al3Zr/Al6Mn for 360 MPa yield and 350 °C service, with elongation reduced to 6 %. | 360 | 450 | 6 | 122 HB | 31 % IACS |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Al-Ce is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
PWD | Powder | Supply form |
What is Al-Ce?
Al-Ce is a cerium-modified aluminum alloy developed for laser powder bed fusion, strengthened by a thermally stable Al11Ce3 eutectic network instead of precipitates that coarsen on exposure. It is chosen for elevated-temperature additive parts: the default condition gives 320 MPa yield, 420 MPa tensile, 8% elongation, 100 HB and service to 250 °C, with 100 W/m·K thermal conductivity and 28% IACS. Available forms are LPBF powder plus sand and permanent-mould castings, in PWD, AB, SR, T5, HIP, F and T6 conditions. Limits are an abrasive eutectic (machinability 58), poor cold formability and restricted availability; it was developed as a lower-cost alternative to Sc-bearing LPBF alloys. Al-Ce has a density of 2.8 g/cm³ (0.101 lb/in³), heavier than 81% of aluminum grades. It melts at 640°C (1,184 °F). Al-Ce has a yield strength of 320 MPa (46.4 ksi) and a tensile strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) — stronger than 80% of aluminum grades. Elongation at break is 8% and the elastic modulus is 74 GPa (10.7 Msi).
What is Al-Ce used for?
- high-temperature AM parts
- engine components
- heat exchangers
Advantages
- High service temperature — 250°C (482 °F), better than 97% of aluminum grades
- High strength — 320 MPa (46.4 ksi), better than 80% of aluminum grades
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 14 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 95% of aluminum grades
- Poor heat conductor — 100 W/m·K (57.8 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 93% of aluminum grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 28 % IACS, worse than 82% of aluminum grades
Al-Ce properties
Typical room-temperature values for Al-Ce-AB; bars are the position among aluminum grades.
Physical3
Al-Ce has a density of 2.8 g/cm³ (0.101 lb/in³), heavier than 81% of aluminum grades. It melts at 640°C (1,184 °F).
Mechanical15
Al-Ce has a yield strength of 320 MPa (46.4 ksi) and a tensile strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) — stronger than 80% of aluminum grades. Elongation at break is 8% and the elastic modulus is 74 GPa (10.7 Msi).
Thermal6
Al-Ce is rated for continuous service to 250°C (482 °F). It conducts heat at 100 W/m·K (57.8 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 93% of aluminum grades. Thermal expansion is 22 µm/m·K (12.2 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Al-Ce conducts electricity at 28 % IACS, worse than 82% of aluminum grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is good (55/100), worse than 51% of aluminum grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Al-Ce takes about 235 MJ of energy and emits 14 kg of CO₂ — more than 97% of aluminum grades. Typical recycled content is 5%.
Manufacturability8
Al-Ce's machinability is good (58/100, worse than 54% of aluminum grades); weldability very good (75/100); formability poor (30/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the aluminum family
Yield strength against density for every aluminum grade FabDigit runs. Al-Ce is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Al-Ce
Is Al-Ce easy to machine?
Can be cut with the same parameters as cast aluminum, but the hard Al11Ce3 phase is abrasive to tooling. Use diamond-coated or PCD cutters at high speed with light feed.
Can Al-Ce be welded?
The narrow eutectic solidification range gives almost no hot-cracking tendency in laser or TIG welding and in LPBF itself. Mg-bearing variants need control of porosity and magnesium loss.
Can Al-Ce be formed, bent or molded?
Parts are made mainly by LPBF or by sand and permanent-mould casting. The eutectic network gives poor cold formability, so any plastic working should be done hot at 300–450 °C.
Al-Ce chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Cenear-eutectic; forms Al11Ce3; often added as Ce-La mischmetal | 6 – 14 | 10 |
| Mgmain solid-solution strengthener in Al-Ce-Mg LPBF alloys | 0 – 10 | 8 |
| NiAl-Ce-Ni heat-resistant variant | 0 – 4 | 0 |
| Mnheat-resistant variant; forms Al6Mn dispersoids | 0 – 1.5 | 0 |
| Zrrefines grains and suppresses hot cracking in printing | 0 – 0.6 | 0 |
| Sicast variants may run high Si for fluidity; LPBF typically <0.3 | 0 – 10 | 0.2 |
| Feimpurity | ≤ 0.3 | 0.15 |
| Al | balance |
What surface finishes work on Al-Ce?
Hard anodizing raises wear resistance but the finish is dark and uneven in colour. Shot blasting followed by chemical polishing improves as-built LPBF surfaces; use paint or powder coating for cosmetic parts.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on aluminum parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing. Each links to its datasheet in the surface-finish library (thickness, specs, call-out, material verdicts).
Organic Coating
How much does Al-Ce cost?
Al-Ce is a high-cost aluminum ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Al-Ce — frequently asked
What is Al-Ce used for?
Al-Ce is typically used for high-temperature AM parts, engine components and heat exchangers. In short: creep-resistant LPBF aluminum; low-cost scandium alloy alternative; 250 °C service capability.
What is the yield strength of Al-Ce?
Al-Ce has a typical yield strength of 320 MPa (46.4 ksi) and a tensile strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) — stronger than 80% of aluminum grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is Al-Ce easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (58/100, worse than 54% of aluminum grades). Can be cut with the same parameters as cast aluminum, but the hard Al11Ce3 phase is abrasive to tooling. Use diamond-coated or PCD cutters at high speed with light feed.
Can Al-Ce be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (75/100). The narrow eutectic solidification range gives almost no hot-cracking tendency in laser or TIG welding and in LPBF itself. Mg-bearing variants need control of porosity and magnesium loss.
What surface finishes work on Al-Ce?
Hard anodizing raises wear resistance but the finish is dark and uneven in colour. Shot blasting followed by chemical polishing improves as-built LPBF surfaces; use paint or powder coating for cosmetic parts.
Can Al-Ce be formed, bent or molded?
Parts are made mainly by LPBF or by sand and permanent-mould casting. The eutectic network gives poor cold formability, so any plastic working should be done hot at 300–450 °C.
What is the maximum service temperature of Al-Ce?
Al-Ce is rated for continuous use to about 250°C (482 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Al-Ce-AB and Al-Ce-F?
AB is the default condition — choose the default as-built LPBF state when you need the highest room-temperature strength (320 MPa yield, 420 MPa tensile) on simple geometries that tolerate residual stress. F: choose the lowest-cost heat-resistant casting state when good fluidity and near-freedom from hot cracking matter more than room-temperature strength (115 MPa yield) from the coarse as-cast structure. Yield strength is 320 MPa in AB versus 115 MPa in F.
How much does Al-Ce cost?
Al-Ce is a high-cost aluminum ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- High performance aluminum–cerium alloys for high-temperature applications (Sims et al.) — Materials Horizons / ORNL (2017)
- Aluminum-Cerium Alloy castings and AM feedstock — Eck Industries (2023)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- Al–Ce binary phase diagram / CALPHAD assessments — ASM Alloy Phase Diagram Database (2016)
- Laser powder bed fusion of Al-Ce-Mg and Al-Ce-Ni alloys — mechanical and thermal property studies — Additive Manufacturing / Materials Science & Engineering A (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.