What is 2024 aluminum bar? — aerospace-strength 2xxx series
2024 aluminum bar is a high-strength Cu-Mg alloy bar from the 2xxx series, originally developed by Alcoa in 1931 for aircraft skin and structure. Today it’s the global standard for aerospace structural parts (wing ribs, fuselage frames, shear webs), military vehicles, and high-cycle fatigue components. After solution heat treat + natural aging (T3/T4) or artificial aging (T6/T8), 2024 reaches 470 MPa tensile — close to low-alloy steel at one-third the weight.
HXM supplies /products/aluminum-bars/2024-aluminum-bars.html in round, square, hex, flat and custom profiles from Ø5 mm to Ø500 mm, in tempers O, T3, T351, T4, T6, T8 — backed by EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate, DNV/ABS/CE on request, and FOB/CIF shipping to 90+ countries.
HXM supplies /products/aluminum-bars/2024-aluminum-bars.html in round, square, hex, flat and custom profiles from Ø5 mm to Ø500 mm, in tempers O, T3, T351, T4, T6, T8 — backed by EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate, DNV/ABS/CE on request, and FOB/CIF shipping to 90+ countries.
Quick Answer for procurement
🟢 Quick Answer: 2024 aluminum bar (UNS A92024 / EN AW-2024 / ISO AlCu4Mg1) is a heat-treatable 2xxx-series aerospace alloy with 4.3–4.9% Cu, 1.2–1.8% Mg, 0.3–0.9% Mn. Density 2.78 g/cm³, tensile 470–530 MPa (T3/T351), elongation 10–20%. Not weldable by fusion (susceptible to hot cracking) — use 4043/4047 filler for braze only. Typical specs: AMS-QQ-A-225/6, AMS 4120, ASTM B211, EN 754-2. Best applications: aircraft structures (wing ribs, fuselage frames, shear webs), military vehicles, truck/rail pivots, gear/shaft blanks requiring high fatigue life. Bad choice for marine, chemical or cryogenic service — pick 5052 aluminum bar or 5083 aluminum bar instead.
📋 At a glance for buyers: MOQ 100 kg (stock) / 1 ton (custom) · Lead time 7–15 days ex-works · EN 10204 3.1 + AS9100D with every shipment · Quote in 24 h (FOB / CIF / DDP).
📋 At a glance for buyers: MOQ 100 kg (stock) / 1 ton (custom) · Lead time 7–15 days ex-works · EN 10204 3.1 + AS9100D with every shipment · Quote in 24 h (FOB / CIF / DDP).
Key takeaways (6 buyer-relevant facts)
• 2× stronger than 6061 in the same condition: 470 MPa vs 310 MPa tensile.• Fatigue king: endurance limit 138 MPa at 5×10⁸ cycles — beats every 6xxx alloy for high-cycle parts.• NOT weldable by fusion MIG/TIG — hot-cracking risk. Use mechanical fastening or rivets.• Low corrosion resistance in marine/atmosphere — must clad (Alclad 2024) or paint.• T351 is the standard temper for machined parts — stress-relieved after quenching, no warping in 5-axis work.• China equivalents: 2A12 (LY12) — close chemistry, slightly higher Fe/Si tolerance. HXM stocks both.
2024 aluminum bar specifications (chemical, mechanical, physical)
All HXM-supplied 2024 bars meet AMS 4120, AMS-QQ-A-225/6, ASTM B211, EN 754-2 and EN 755-2. Third-party MTC (EN 10204 3.1) included. Compare with 7075 bar for higher static strength / lower fatigue; compare with 6061 bar for weldability and corrosion.
4.1 Chemical composition (per ASTM B211, weight %)
| Element | Min | Max | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu (Copper) | 3.8 | 4.9 | Primary strengthener (Al₂Cu θ-phase) |
| Mg (Magnesium) | 1.2 | 1.8 | Strengthens, forms S-phase |
| Mn (Manganese) | 0.3 | 0.9 | Grain refinement, toughness |
| Fe (Iron) | — | 0.50 | Impurity (controls anisotropy) |
| Si (Silicon) | — | 0.50 | Impurity |
| Zn (Zinc) | — | 0.25 | Impurity |
| Ti (Titanium) | — | 0.15 | Grain refiner |
| Cr (Chromium) | — | 0.10 | Corrosion control |
| Others (each) | — | 0.05 | — |
| Others (total) | — | 0.15 | — |
| Al (Aluminum) | Balance | — | |
4.2 Mechanical properties by temper
| Temper | Tensile Strength (MPa) | Yield 0.2% (MPa) | Elongation (%) | Hardness (HB) | Fatigue Limit (10⁸ cycles, MPa) | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O (annealed) | ≤220 | ≤96 | 10–16 | ~55 | — | Forming stock, deep drawing |
| T3 | 470 | 325 | 10–15 | ~120 | 138 | Aerospace machined parts |
| T351 | 470 | 325 | 10–15 | ~120 | 138 | Stress-relieved for 5-axis CNC |
| T4 | 470 | 325 | 10–15 | ~120 | — | Natural aged — long stability |
| T6 | 475 | 345 | 8–12 | ~125 | 125 | Higher yield, less ductile |
| T8 | 480 | 380 | 6–10 | ~135 | — | Cold-work + aged: max strength |
4.3 Physical & thermal properties
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 2.78 g/cm³ | ~35% lighter than steel |
| Melting range | 502–638 °C | Solution treat: 488–499 °C |
| Electrical conductivity | 30–35% IACS (O) | Lower than 6061 — avoid busbar use |
| Thermal conductivity | 121 W/m·K (O) | 190 W/m·K (T6) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 73.1 GPa | ~25% of steel stiffness |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion | 23.2 × 10⁻⁶ /°C | 20–100 °C |
| Specific heat capacity | 0.88 J/g·°C | — |
2024 vs 7075 vs 6061 vs 2017 — which bar do you need?
Buying the wrong alloy is the #1 cost-driver in machined-part rework. Pick by primary criterion:
👉 Rule of thumb: Fatigue → 2024 or 7075. Static load + need to weld → 6061. High-volume turning → 2017. Marine → 5052 or 5083.
Full alloy guide →/news-blog/blog/aluminum-bar-rod-complete-guide.html
| Property | 2024 | 7075 | 6061 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength (T6/T651, MPa) | 475 | 572 | 310 | 427 |
| Fatigue (10⁸, MPa) | 138 | 159 | 97 | 124 |
| Corrosion (salt spray, hrs to pitting) | ~96 | ~120 | ~1000 | ~80 |
| Weldability (fusion) | ❌ Poor | ❌ Poor | ✅ Good | ❌ Poor |
| Machinability | ✅ Good | ✅ Good (better) | ✅ Good | ✅ Excellent (chips break) |
| Formability (annealed) | Medium | Poor | Excellent | Medium |
| Best for | Aerospace frames, ribs | Gear, high-stress | Weldments, marine | Automatic lathe parts |
Full alloy guide →/news-blog/blog/aluminum-bar-rod-complete-guide.html
Available forms, sizes & tolerances (HXM stock range)
All tolerances meet or exceed ASTM B211 (drawn bar) / EN 754-2. Closer tolerances (-50%, -100% of standard) on request.
Custom extrusions & CNC rough-turning → request quote /products/aluminum-bars.html
6.1 Round bar
| Diameter (mm) | Standard Tolerance | Tight (-50%) | Stock temper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 – 12 | ±0.10 mm | ±0.05 mm | O, T3, T351, T4, T6 |
| 12 – 25 | ±0.13 mm | ±0.07 mm | O, T3, T351, T4, T6 |
| 25 – 50 | ±0.15 mm | ±0.08 mm | T3, T351, T4, T6, T8 |
| 50 – 100 | ±0.25 mm | ±0.13 mm | T3, T351, T4, T6, T8 |
| 100 – 200 | ±0.40 mm | ±0.20 mm | T351, T6 |
| 200 – 500 | ±1.0 mm (turned) | ±0.50 mm | T351, T6 (forged stock) |
6.2 Square, hex, flat bar
| Form | Size range | Tolerance | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | 6 – 120 mm A/F | ±0.20 mm (≤50), ±0.30 mm (≤100) | 1 – 6 m |
| Hex (A/F) | 10 – 100 mm | ±0.15 mm (≤50), ±0.25 mm (≤100) | 1 – 6 m |
| Flat (T × W) | 3×20 – 100×300 mm | ±0.10 mm (T), ±0.50 mm (W) | 1 – 6 m |
Heat treatment of 2024 bar — T3, T351, T4, T6, T8 explained
2024 reaches its strength only after heat treatment. Choosing the wrong temper = warped or soft parts. Full guide →/news-blog/blog/aluminum-heat-treatment-temper-designation-guide.html
| Temper | Process | Microstructure | Stability | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O | Anneal 415 °C + slow cool | Coarse θ + S | Stable, soft | Deep drawing, forming |
| T3 | Solution 490 °C → quench → cold work 1–3% → natural age | θ’ + S’ + dislocations | Stable (room temp) | Aerospace skin stock |
| T351 | T3 + stress-relieve by stretching 1.5–3% | Same as T3, residual stress <35 MPa | Stable | Machined aerospace parts |
| T4 | Solution + quench + natural age 60+ days | Same as T3, no cold work | Very stable | Long cycle parts, tooling |
| T6 | Solution + quench + artificial age 190 °C × 12 h | θ + S’ coarsened | Stable | Higher yield, less ductile |
| T8 | Solution + quench + 3–5% cold work + artificial age | θ + high dislocation density | Stable | Fasteners, gun parts |
🎯 Machining note: T351 is the safest for 5-axis CNC — low residual stress means no warping after rough cuts.
8 applications where 2024 bar beats every other alloy
8.1 Aerospace structural — wing ribs, fuselage frames, shear webs
70% of all commercial aircraft structural forgings and machined parts use 2024-T351 or 2024-T4. The high fatigue strength (138 MPa at 10⁸) survives 90,000+ takeoff cycles over a 30-year service life. Buy AMS 4120 cert for direct OEM supply.
8.2 Defense & military vehicles
Armor plate (5083/7039) is bolted to 2024-T6 brackets and pivots. Ballistic-grade 2024 forgings meet MIL-A-22771 for armored personnel carriers.
8.3 Truck & motorsport — suspension pivots, control arms
Race trucks and EV chassis use 2024-T6 forgings where 7075 is too brittle (failure mode = shear, not fatigue).
8.4 High-cycle gears & shafts (non-corrosive environment)
2024-T6 lathe-turned gears for aircraft accessories, helicopter transmissions, hydraulic pump shafts. Lower wear rate than 7075 due to harder θ’ phase.
8.5 Fasteners — rivets, bolts, hinge pins
2024-T8 wire & bar is the standard for aircraft rivets (supersedes MS-20470 series). Buy 2024 wire for rivet production.
8.6 Bicycle & motorsport components
MTB crank arms, motorcycle swingarms, racing wheel spindles — where 7075 is over-spec’d and 6061 too soft.
8.7 Tooling & jigs
2024-T4 is stable for jigs that need to hold tolerance without creep.
8.8 Robot arms & aerospace actuators
Cobot joints require high strength-to-weight + high fatigue — 2024-T6 fits.
Buyer pain points — and how HXM solves each
Pain #1: Getting material rejected for cracking during machining
- ❌ Internal porosity from cheap billets
- ❌ Wrong temper supplied as T351 but is T4
- ❌ Excess Fe/Si > 0.5% (causes grain boundary issues)
- ✅ HXM only sources from CHALCO / Norsk Hydro primary billets, MTC reports Fe ≤ 0.35% guaranteed; we double-verify via spectro.
Pain #2: Welding 2024 — and cracking the part
- ❌ Buying 2024 thinking it welds like 6061
- ❌ Production line welded 2024 → 60% scrap
- ✅ We tell every buyer up-front: 2024 is NOT weldable by fusion MIG/TIG. Use mechanical fastening, or switch alloy. /news-blog/blog/aluminum-welding-techniques-guide.html.
Pain #3: Wrong price — quoted at T6 but invoiced at T3
- ❌ Suppliers swap temper for T6→T3 (cheaper)
- ❌ Hardness test catches it but takes 30 days
- ✅ HXM provides in-house hardness test report (HB) for every lot; spot check matches below prompt price.
Pain #4: Lead time 90+ days for AMS 4120 stock
- ❌ Western mills batch only every quarter
- ❌ Buyers wait 90 days + pay 30% premium
- ✅ HXM keeps 200+ tons of AMS 4120 2024-T351 stock for Ø10–200 mm; typical lead time 7–15 days for export.
Pain #5: No documentation for aerospace audits
- ❌ Need AS9100D cert, not just ISO 9001
- ❌ Chem composition not in MTC
- ✅ Full AS9100D + EN 10204 3.1 + spectro certificate supplied. /products/aluminum-bars.html.
2024 bar RFQ checklist — get an accurate quote in 24 hours
Save 3–7 days of back-and-forth. Send these 9 items in your RFQ email and HXM will quote FOB/CIF/DDP within 24 hours.
- Alloy & UNS — 2024 / UNS A92024 / EN AW-2024 / ISO AlCu4Mg1
- Temper — T3 / T351 / T4 / T6 / T8 / O
- Form — round / square / hex / flat / custom
- Size — diameter or A/F, length (mm or inch)
- Tolerance — standard (ASTM B211) or tight (-50%)
- Quantity — kg or pieces, single lot or annual contract
- Surface — mill finish / peeled / polished / anodized
- Certification — EN 10204 3.1 / AS9100D / DNV / CE / RoHS
- Destination port — for CIF/DDP freight quote
Need a quote for 2024 aluminum bar?
Send your drawing & spec — get a factory-direct quote with EN 10204 3.1 in 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions (2024 aluminum bar)
No — 2024 is not recommended for fusion welding (MIG/TIG). Copper content causes severe hot-cracking. Use mechanical fastening, riveting, or brazing with 4043/4047 filler at low heat input. If you need a weldable equivalent, use 6061-T6 — it has 67% of 2024’s strength but full weldability.
Both are solution heat-treated, quenched, cold-worked, and naturally aged. T351 adds a stress-relief stretching (1.5–3%) after quenching, leaving residual stress <35 MPa. T351 is mandatory for aerospace 5-axis CNC machining — otherwise the part warps. T3 is OK for formed sheet stock and rivets.
2A12 (also written LY12) is China’s national designation for the same alloy family as 2024. Chemistry is similar (3.8–4.9% Cu, 1.2–1.8% Mg) but with slightly wider Fe/Si tolerance per GB/T 3191. Mechanical performance is within ±5% of 2024-T4. Buy 2A12 for cost savings on non-OEM aerospace parts.
No — 2024 has poor corrosion resistance in marine atmosphere. For shipboard or offshore use, switch to 5083-H116 (weldable, ~270 MPa tensile) or 5052-H32 (welderable, ~215 MPa). For bolted/bracketed parts in mild atmosphere, clad 2024 (Alclad 2024) provides sacrificial protection.
Every shipment includes EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate with full chemistry (ICP-OES spectro), tensile test, hardness, and traceability. AS9100D aerospace cert available for OEM supply. DNV, ABS, LR, BV marine certs on application. RoHS/REACH compliance statement on request.
Stock items (Ø5–200 mm T3/T351/T4/T6) ship in 7–15 days from order. Non-stock tempers (T8, O annealed large diameter) need 25–35 days. Annual contract buyers get priority scheduling with 30-day rolling call-off.
HXM quotes 2024 bar per your exact spec (temper, diameter, tolerance, cert, quantity) — FOB, CIF or DDP to your port, returned within 24 hours. Indicative FOB China sits in the aerospace-premium band and varies by temper and tolerance; MOQ is 100 kg for stock sizes and 1 ton for custom. Send your drawing or spec via the form below for a firm quote.
Yes — HXM cuts to length from 50 mm to 6 m with ±1 mm tolerance. CNC rough-turning of round bar to ±0.05 mm, OD 10–500 mm, length up to 1500 mm. Forging blanks (forged 2024 round) up to Ø500 mm for heavy aerospace parts. Lead time for blanks: 15–25 days.
Sulfuric anodize (Type II) on 2024 turns yellow-green and is mainly cosmetic — not recommended for hardcoat (Type III) because high copper prevents uniform oxide growth. For decorative + corrosion, paint or clad is preferred.
Yes — 2024 retains ductility and toughness down to -195 °C (LN2). Tensile actually increases ~10% at cryo. It’s used in LNG pump bodies and aerospace cryogenic fuel lines. Avoid at 200–400 °C (over-aging causes strength loss).
7075-T6 has higher fatigue limit (159 MPa) than 2024-T351 (138 MPa) at 10⁸ cycles in axial loading. But for notched or multiaxial loading, 2024 is often better due to lower notch sensitivity. For pure high-cycle (gear, shaft) choose 7075; for fluctuating wing-rib loading choose 2024.
Store flat in original packaging, dry (<60% rh), 15–30 °c. avoid temperature swings causing condensation. open packages will develop light surface oxide in 2–3 weeks — not harmful, but wipe with isopropyl before machining if tolerance <0.05 mm. don't store near acids, chlorides, or copper-containing metals.
Talk to a 2024-aluminum-bar specialist
🟢 HXM is China’s leading aerospace 2024 aluminum bar supplier — AS9100D-certified, EN 10204 3.1 with every shipment, 200+ tons stock, 7–15 day lead time. Whether you need 1 kg of Ø6 mm T351 for prototyping or 50 tons of Ø200 mm AMS 4120 for production, we ship.Send your drawing / spec — reply within 24 hours with FOB / CIF / DDP price.
Need a quote for 2024 aluminum bar?
Send your drawing & spec — get a factory-direct quote with EN 10204 3.1 in 24 hours.
