1000 Series Aluminum
The 1000 series is commercially pure aluminum: at least 99 % Al, with the last two digits giving the purity above that (1050 = 99.50 %, 1070 = 99.70 %). No alloying means the highest electrical and thermal conductivity, the best corrosion resistance and the best formability of any aluminum — and the lowest strength, which is why it is strengthened only by cold work (H tempers) and sold soft (O) for deep drawing and spinning.
Popular 1000 series grades
Compare in the explorer| Grade | Yield, MPa | Tensile, MPa | Density, g/cm³ | Machinability | Weldability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | 115 | 125 | 2.71 | Fair | Excellent | General-purpose pure aluminum sheet and spinnings |
| 1050 | 90 | 110 | 2.71 | Poor | Excellent | EN equivalent of 1100; tanks, fins, signage |
| 1060 | 28 | 70 | 2.71 | Poor | Excellent | Asian-market pure sheet; deep drawing |
| 1350 | 165 | 186 | 2.71 | Fair | Excellent | Bus bar and conductor (61 % IACS) |
| 1070 | 25 | 68 | 2.71 | Fair | Excellent | Reflectors and capacitor foil |
| 1200 | 105 | 120 | 2.71 | Fair | Excellent | EN pure sheet for cladding and cookware |
| 1145 | 150 | 165 | 2.7 | Poor | Excellent | Foil grade |
Choose the 1000 series for
Bus bars, cable and grounding straps (1350), chemical and food tanks, heat-exchanger fins, reflectors, spun and deep-drawn shells, and any part where conductivity, purity or corrosion resistance matters more than strength.
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1000 series by application
- Electrical conductors
- 1350-H19 for bus bar, cable and bonding straps — 61 % IACS, the highest of any structural aluminum. 1100 where the conductor is also formed.
- Chemical and food handling
- 1100 and 1050 tanks, ducts and heat-exchanger fins: the purest commercial grades, so no second phase to pit in acids or brine.
Working with the 1000 series
- Machining
- Soft and gummy: sharp positive-rake tools, high speed, flood coolant, and expect burrs. Thin walls and fine threads are hard to hold; 6061-T6 machines three times faster and cleaner.
- Forming
- The most formable aluminum family. O temper bends to zero radius; H14 to about 1 t. Spinning, deep drawing and hydroforming all work without intermediate anneals.
- Welding
- Welds easily by TIG or MIG with 1100 or 4043 filler and loses no heat-treatment strength, because there is none to lose. Resistance welding needs high current — the conductivity works against you.
- Finishing
- Bright-dips and clear anodizes to the whitest, most uniform finish of any aluminum; excellent substrate for chem-film and paint. Hardcoat builds slowly on a soft base and offers little wear benefit.
Other aluminum series
1000 Series Aluminum — frequently asked
What is 1000 series aluminum?
The 1000 series is commercially pure aluminum: at least 99 % Al, with the last two digits giving the purity above that (1050 = 99.50 %, 1070 = 99.70 %). No alloying means the highest electrical and thermal conductivity, the best corrosion resistance and the best formability of any aluminum — and the lowest strength, which is why it is strengthened only by cold work (H tempers) and sold soft (O) for deep drawing and spinning.
Which grade of 1000 series aluminum should I use?
1100 is the general-purpose grade for chemical tanks, heat-exchanger fins and spun or deep-drawn parts. 1050 and 1060 are the EN and Asian equivalents for the same work. 1350 is the electrical-conductor grade (61 % IACS) for bus bar and cable; 1070 and 1080 are reflector and capacitor foil purity. If the part must carry load, move to 3003 or 5052 — the machining and anodizing behaviour is similar and the strength is two to three times higher.
Which grade of 1000 series aluminum is the strongest?
1350 has the highest yield strength in the series at 165 MPa; 1370 follows at 155 MPa. Values are for each grade's default condition.
Which grade of 1000 series aluminum is easiest to machine?
1350 (machinability fair, 40/100), then 1100 (38/100).
Is 1000 series aluminum heat-treatable?
No. These grades are strengthened by cold work and softened by annealing, not by heat treatment; the conditions are listed on each grade page.
What is the difference between 1100 and 1050 aluminum?
1050 is the EN/ISO designation (99.50 % Al minimum) and 1100 the North-American one (99.00 % minimum, with up to 0.2 % Cu). Their strength, formability and corrosion behaviour are practically identical; specify whichever your drawing standard and supplier stock use.
Is 1000 series aluminum strong enough for structural parts?
No. Even fully hard 1100-H18 yields at about 150 MPa and the annealed grades at 30–40 MPa — a fifth of 6061-T6. Use the 1000 series where conductivity, purity or formability is the requirement and put the load path in 5000 or 6000 series parts.