Is it just marketing or is there an actual structural difference?
In: 807
Well important question. Does it say what specific alloy it is. Or does it just say “space grade aluminum”.
Because if it says something like “Aluminum alloy 2024” then yea that is a specific alloy that is commonly used in the aerospace world.
But if it JUST says “space grade aluminum” then that is probably the same thing as when a food says “SUPER FOOD” on the packaging, there’s no actual legal regulation or anything so it’s probably marketing.
There’s a bunch of different aluminum alloys with a different applications based on cost/properties.
[Aluminium alloy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_alloy)
I’d bet you it’s 6061. Common and basically it’s good at most stuff.
There’s not “space grade”. Aluminum is very often alloyed (mixed) with other minerals to alter its physical properties. There are a number of alloys that are commonly used in aerospace applications (sometimes called “aerospace grade” alloys), typically designated by a grade number: 2024 might be used for the skin of a plane, and 7075 for the structural parts of the fuselage.
Different grades have different properties, like how rigid or bendable they are, how they handle weathering and corrosion, how easily they can be welded, etc.
Generally “space grade aluminum” is the 6061 alloy but I don’t really see a drastic benefit to the added cost using that alloy over using mild steel for a dog crate would give you other than being slightly lighter.
You can look at the characteristics of the different aluminum alloys to see the benefit of it in the link below.
https://www.fastradius.com/resources/decoding-aluminum-alloy-numbering/
When something is marketed as being made with space-grade aluminum, that just means that it’s the same aluminum alloy used in spacecraft. It’s really just a marketing strategy, as space-grade aluminum isn’t really all that special, but it does sound higher quality.
Similarly, surgical grade steel is the same kind of steel used in scalpels and other medical instruments. Those scalpels lose their edge fast, and they’re disposed of after surgery. So really, surgical grade means cheap, but sounds high quality.
Military grade is a similar thing. It means a product is made from materials used in general issue military equipment. It doesn’t mean “indestructible” by any stretch.
I build space mechanisms for a living.
90% are just 6061-T651 which is the same aluminum used everywhere. I recall back in the day advertising started to say 6061-T6 was “aircraft aluminum” (I recall that Mag-lite started this but who knows) and I feel like saying “space-grade” is now just a form of one-upping.
There ARE stronger aluminum alloys than 6061, like 7075 which is nearly as strong as some steels. We use that where required but the range of sizes the raw stock is available in is limited compared to 6061, so it’s rarely a starting point.
We also use uncommon aluminums like 1100 series, which I have no idea if any other industries use. 1100 is nearly “pure” aluminum so it’s terrible to machine and the strength is awful. But the thermal conductivity is excellent and it’s much lighter than copper, so it makes sense for thermal control devices on spacecraft… sometimes.
It’s worth mentioning that there IS such a thing as space-grade aluminum foil. UHV foil (ultra high vacuum) is made without the oil residue from the foil rolling process that is present on industrial and food grade foils. Oils in space vaporize and settle on sensors and instruments potentially causing problems. There is an anecdote from an old space program (Voyager maybe?) about not having enough UHV foil and being forced to use some from the grocery store… guess it worked out!
Edit: thinking on this I don’t want to send the wrong message… just because “space aluminum” is the same alloy doesnt mean that we can buy raw material from McMaster and be on our way (in fact we can’t buy from McMaster except in special cases). Aluminum for space use needs to come with a wide array of test data and certifications that confirm its acceptability. Mill cert., Material assay (composition), tensile testing cert., ultrasonic flaw inspection etc are some examples.
I worked for a factory that manufactured the nuts and bolts for the space vehicles and airplanes. Space Grade has nickel combined in it and it is tested for strength mimicking what the aircraft would be facing.
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Whatever they call the aluminium, it has to be finished. I spent my life hard coating, anodising, Za , phosphating and plating the stuff.
1000 series… to soft to be of much value anywhere in space or the military.
2000 series…high copper alloy with conductivity value. Utter bitch to finish.
6000 series…bog standard, 90% usability, easy to finish.
7000 series. High zinc content, strongest alloy. Lots of finishing problems.
The big thing would be documentation. If it is actually used for flifht hardware, it’s handling and care is well documented. It also should have gone through quality check to make sure it’s the correct alloy, and exhibits the correct properties.
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