Corrosion-Resistant Aluminum Alloy combines strength, weldability.
Press Release Summary:
Issued MIL-DTL-32505 by USARL, 7017 aluminum alloy can be used on combat vehicles for ballistic protection as well as for advanced armor solutions. Balance of elements optimizes stress-corrosion cracking resistance while maintaining high strength and weldability. Intended for commercial plate and defense end-uses, corrosion-resistant alloy offers weld compatibility that affords armored vehicle designers flexibility to incorporate different design characteristics.
Original Press Release:
Aleris Introduces 7017 Aluminum Alloy in North America
CLEVELAND -- Aleris announced today that it is now offering a new 7017 aluminum alloy in North America for commercial plate and defense end-uses. After extensive review and testing of Aleris 7017, the United States Army Research Lab (USARL) has issued MIL-DTL-32505 for use in armor applications.
"7017 has a unique combination of properties making it ideal for the most advanced armor solutions," said Lawrence Kramer, global defense field engineer at Aleris. "These include high strength, weldability and corrosion resistance. This alloy is currently utilized in Europe and Asia on combat vehicles to achieve superior ballistic protection."
The weld compatibility of the new alloy gives great flexibility to armored vehicle designers, enabling them to incorporate different design characteristics. The optimum balance of elements that comprise Aleris 7017 provides for superior stress-corrosion cracking resistance while maintaining high strength and weldability properties.
To develop a new alloy for America's ground forces, ARL engineers place the product through a series of standardized tests to validate the material's performance in the ballistic protection level, corrosion resistance and weldability.
"The analysis has resulted in a significant protective benefit as Aluminum Alloy 7017 has demonstrated a reduction in spallation compared with the legacy AA7039," Tyrone Jones, mechanical engineer in the Armor Mechanisms Branch, said. "An armor plate must not only arrest the projectile, but mitigate the kinetic energy before it fatally compromises a protected asset."
Fusion welds of 7017 plate have excellent strength with the weld heat-affected zone strengthening with time. 7017 is weld compatible with the 5xxx series alloys such as 5083 and Alustar(® )5059, Aleris' high-strength alloy designed to withstand corrosive environments.
Aleris produces a wide variety of aluminum rolled and extruded products for diverse industries worldwide, including many different commercial plates in various standards and customer-specified alloys using some of the world's most advanced hot and cold rolling mills.
About Aleris
Aleris is a privately held, global leader in aluminum rolled products and extrusions, aluminum recycling and specification alloy production. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Aleris operates more than 40 production facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.aleris.com.
CONTACT: Shannon Bennett, 216.910.3664, shannon.bennett@aleris.com, or Jason Saragian, 216.910.3670, jason.saragian@aleris.com
