eli5, What is the difference between aluminum and space grade aluminum?

Question

Is it just marketing or is there an actual structural difference?

In: 807

Answer 1

So I work for a national defense contractor in the space industry. Space grade aluminum is usually a type of aluminum alloy that is a mixture of aluminum and other metals. A common aluminum used in aerospace industry is 7075 aluminum, a zinc-aluminum alloy. Like how steel is a stronger alloy of iron, 7075 aluminum exhibits more desirable properties than pure aluminum. Things like strength, stress resistance and how it fatigues

With that being said, in terms of marketing non aerospace products: it’s usually just jargon to impress customers lol

Edit: that is not the end all be all aluminum used, it’s just an example. Space grade could mean many different types of alloys.