Alloys / 5083-H111
5083-H111 Aluminum
Marine and structural plate. Holds up in salt water and welds cleanly, but it will never reach 6061 hardness because it cannot be heat treated.
What it is
5000 series, aluminum-magnesium, the highest-magnesium common wrought alloy, not heat treatable. H111: annealed then given a small amount of strain hardening from handling, essentially a soft temper.
Machining
Gummy like 5052, for the same reason, high magnesium content with no heat-treatable strengthening phase. Runs slower than the 6000 series and rewards sharp tooling over aggressive feeds.
Finishing and joining
The best salt water corrosion resistance on this list and a strong, forgiving weld. Anodizes usably but not to a cosmetic standard, this is a structural alloy, not a cosmetic one.
Where it turns up
- Marine hardware and structural plate
- Outdoor structural brackets exposed to salt air
- Welded aluminum frames and fabrications
Read further
- The full comparison against 5052Read the guide
- Reading a mill certificateRead the guide
At a glance
| Yield strength | 228 MPa |
| Density | 2.66 g/cm³ |
| Weldability | 5 / 5 |
| Anodizing | 3 / 5 |
| Corrosion resistance | 5 / 5 |
| Strength for weight | 2 / 5 |
| Stays flat | 3 / 5 |
| Machinability | 2 / 5 |
Scores run 1 to 5, editorial judgements for comparison, not measured values. Yield is a typical published figure for this temper, not a guarantee for your lot.
Full property table for all alloys: alloy selector.
Questions
Is 5083-H111 weldable?
Yes, 5083-H111 welds without special difficulty. It is one of the more forgiving alloys on this list to join.
Does 5083-H111 anodize evenly?
Not reliably. Expect a less even, sometimes darker or patchier result than 6061 in the same anodizing tank, so treat any anodized finish on this alloy as functional rather than cosmetic.