"if I didn't have to start w/ an ingot." All you need is an extrusion plant. :-) On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 12:04 PM, Bill Claybaugh <wclaybaugh2@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > If one wants to replace 6061, look to 2095, 2199 and the like. If it were > available as tube, Al-Li could replace my existing 6061-T6 solid rocket tube > with 1/2 the wall thickness and accordingly 1/2 the weight...and a little > more propellant as a bonus. Even at current prices, I would make that trade > if I didn't have to start w/ an ingot. > > Bill > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Oct 30, 2013, at 15:34, Nathan Mogk <nm8911@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > What interested me is not the slightly higher strength, but the fact that it > was higher strength on an alloy that is specifically intended to replace > 6061. Whether that translates to rockets/tanks is yet to be seen on specific > properties. The release did mention wear resistance as a driving > requirement. > > > On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 12:10 PM, Jonathan Goff <jongoff@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> Nathan, >> >> There are already several alloys with more than 16.5% higher strength than >> 6061-T6. The questions for rocket stuff is thermal conductivity, solidus, >> high temperature strength, etc. Not just raw room-temperature strength. For >> instance 7068-T6 has a yield strength of almost 100ksi (vs ~40ksi for 6061), >> and has 190ish W/m*K thermal conductivity (compared to like 160ish W/m*K). >> But it's solidus is only something like 485C (compared to 560ish C for >> 6061), which means its high temperature strength/creep characteristics are >> probably quite a bit worse than 6061. >> >> If this is a 6xxx series alloy with good thermal conductivity, and similar >> solidus to 6061, it might be a good replacement. Ultimately, it would be >> interesting to see someone do a detailed thermal analysis of a rocket engine >> using some of the various potential aluminum alloys to see which combination >> of factors really matters most. I have some hunches, but not being actively >> in the rocket world anymore I don't really have the time to investigate. >> >> Would be really interested if someone wanted to do some sort of simplified >> analysis though and publish it on aRocket though! >> >> ~Jon >> >> >> On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 1:03 PM, Nathan Mogk <nm8911@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: >>> >>> Apparently Alcoa recently unveiled a new alloy for use in truck wheels >>> that is 16.5% stronger than 6061. This may be an interesting alloy for >>> rockets when they let it into the market. There wasn't any real detail in >>> the press release that I saw, and they didn't mention (and I didn't look up) >>> what heat treatment of 6061 they are comparing with. >>> >>> Here is the press release >>> >>> http://www.asminternational.org/portal/site/www/NewsItem/?vgnextoid=3a23ccc1c26e1410VgnVCM100000621e010aRCRD >>> >>> >> >