There are various ways to classify aluminum profiles, and the core can be divided according to alloy grade, application field, and surface treatment process. Different classifications correspond to different performance and uses, serving as the basis for selection and application.
(1) Classified by Alloy Grade
Aluminum alloy grades are represented by four-digit numbers. The first digit represents the series, determining the core components and performance of the alloy. Among them, the 6 series alloys are currently the most widely used category. The core information of each series is as follows:
Series 1 (Pure Aluminum Series): The main component is pure aluminum (purity ≥99.0%), with representative grades 1100, 1050, 1060. The core characteristics are good plasticity, strong corrosion resistance, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, and relatively low strength. It is mostly used in heat sinks, decorative parts, and conductive components where high strength is not required.
Series 2 (Aluminum-Copper Alloy): Copper is the main alloying element, with the representative grade 2024. The core characteristics are high strength and good heat resistance. It is widely used in aerospace structural components and high-strength parts of high-end equipment and belongs to high-end industrial profiles.
Series 5 (Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy): Magnesium is the main alloying element, with the representative grade 5052. The core characteristics are medium to high strength and resistance to seawater corrosion. It is suitable for ships, vehicles, pressure vessels, and other scenarios that require corrosion resistance.
Series 6 (Aluminum-Magnesium-Silicon Alloy): Magnesium and silicon are the main alloying elements, with representative grades 6061 and 6063, which are the most widely used series. Among them, 6063 has the best extrusion performance, corrosion resistance, and surface treatment effect, known as the ‘universal ace,’ mainly used in doors, windows, curtain walls, industrial frames, etc.; 6061 has higher strength and is suitable for load-bearing structures, automation equipment frames, etc.
Series 7 (Aluminum-Zinc Alloy): Zinc is the main alloying element, with the representative grade 7075. It belongs to ultra-high-strength alloy (aerospace grade), with the core feature of extremely high strength, and is mostly used in aerospace and high-end precision equipment structural components.
(2) Classification by Application Field
According to application scenarios, it can be divided into aluminum profiles for construction, aluminum profiles for industrial use, and special aluminum profiles. Among them, industrial aluminum profiles have shown significant growth in recent years and have become the core driving force of industry growth.
Architectural aluminum profiles: Traditional core application area, mainly used for doors and windows, curtain walls, sunrooms, partitions, and construction molds, divided into ordinary aluminum profiles and thermal break aluminum profiles (with thermal insulation and energy-saving properties). With the advancement of green building policies, the demand for energy-efficient thermal break aluminum profiles continues to be strong, while requirements for appearance, decoration, and sound insulation are constantly increasing.
Industrial aluminum profiles: The most widely used application scenario, covering new energy, transportation, electronics, machinery manufacturing, and multiple other fields, highly standardized, and customizable for non-standard and special-shaped parts. Among them, photovoltaic profiles and new energy vehicle profiles are the fastest-growing subcategories, with photovoltaic profile production accounting for 34% of industrial aluminum profiles in 2024, ranked first in the subcategory; new energy vehicle profile production accounts for 12%, with significant growth. Additionally, they are used for automation equipment frames, assembly lines, workbenches, and rail transit vehicle bodies.
Specialized aluminum profiles: Customized for specific scenarios, including radiator profiles (comb-shaped, fin-shaped, etc., used for electronic and photovoltaic inverter cooling), 3C profiles (mobile phone and computer casings, etc.), furniture profiles (all-aluminum cabinets, wardrobes), flood prevention profiles (flood walls, baffles), and others.
(3) Classification by surface treatment process
The core function of surface treatment is to improve the corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and decorative properties of aluminum profiles. Common processes are divided into the following categories:
Anodizing: Forms a dense oxide film, improving surface hardness and corrosion resistance, can be dyed in various colors, suitable for outdoor applications (such as curtain walls, doors, and windows). It is divided into chemical oxidation and electrochemical oxidation, the latter is suitable for thick-walled profiles.
Electrophoretic coating: Uses electrophoresis to adsorb paint onto the profile surface, resulting in a uniform coating with strong adhesion and excellent corrosion resistance. It is commonly used for architectural doors and windows and interior decorative profiles, with a coating thickness usually between 10-30μm.
Powder coating: An environmentally friendly process where powder coating is cured at high temperature to form a coating. It offers rich colors, good weather resistance, strong adhesion, and no pollution. Suitable for building curtain walls, outdoor furniture, etc.
Other processes: Includes fluorocarbon spraying (extremely weather-resistant, suitable for high-end curtain walls), wood grain transfer printing (simulates wood grain texture to enhance decoration), brushing, polishing (divided into mechanical polishing and chemical polishing, the latter being more costly), among others.