6066 Aluminum Tube: A Perfect Material from Aerospace to High-End Bicycles

6066 Aluminum Tube is a high-strength aluminum alloy designed for applications requiring high strength and fatigue resistance, widely used in aerospace, rail transit, and high-end bicycle manufacturing.

Compared to other common aluminum alloys such as 6061, 6066 aluminum alloy has a higher level of alloying, providing outstanding mechanical properties, particularly in welded structures and forgings. While 6066 aluminum exhibits slightly lower corrosion resistance, it remains a popular material through appropriate surface treatments and optimized alloy composition, making it especially suitable for fields with strict weight and strength requirements.

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Popular products of 6066 aluminum tube

Mastar 6066 aluminum tube featured products

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Mastar Metal - quality aluminum tube supplier

• Price Advantage: We support bulk purchases for retailers and metal distributors, offering discounts and rebate policies for B-end bulk buyers. Our pricing is transparent, ensuring a competitive edge with equivalent quality materials.
• Delivery Time: With a stock of tens of thousands of tons, standard sizes can be matched directly from existing inventory, ensuring quick shipping. Advanced equipment and a professional team help shorten delivery times, providing convenient logistics and timely arrivals.
• Quality Products: Using high-quality aluminum billets, we produce aluminum tubes through reverse extrusion processes combined with excellent heat treatment techniques, optimizing product strength and ductility while ensuring uniform cooling and annealing processes. This guarantees high tensile strength and excellent performance.
• Comprehensive Quality Testing: We strictly implement multiple inspection processes, including tensile strength, elongation performance, ultrasonic testing, and metallographic testing, ensuring that outgoing aluminum tubes meet AMS, EN, NADCAP, and other standard certifications.
• Customer Service: We provide comprehensive after-sales service to address customer concerns. Our experienced technical team offers professional consultation and guidance, establishing a complete customer service system to ensure a high-quality service experience.

Features of 6066 aluminum tube

• Outstanding strength and corrosion resistance
• Good machinability, suitable for various machining processes
• Excellent weldability, ideal for complex structural components
• Significant performance improvement after heat treatment

Best collaboration fields for 6066 aluminum tube

High-End Bicycle Manufacturing - 6066 aluminum alloy is commonly used for frames and forks of high-end bicycles due to its lightweight and high strength, enabling faster performance without sacrificing safety. Brands like Merida and Stella incorporate this alloy into their top bicycle models, providing riders with an exceptional cycling experience.

Aerospace Industry - 6066 aluminum is the preferred choice for aircraft landing gear and fuselage components due to its ability to withstand high-stress conditions while maintaining durability. Its high strength and fatigue resistance allow it to handle extreme loads and repeated use demands.

Automotive and Heavy Transport - In the automotive industry, 6066 aluminum is used in the chassis and support beams of high-performance cars and trucks. Its ability to endure dynamic stress ensures the safety and reliability of critical vehicle components, especially in high-speed vehicles.

Rail Transit - In the rail transit sector, 6066 aluminum alloy is widely used in the structural components of high-speed trains, providing reliable mechanical performance to ensure long-term stable operation.

6066 aluminum tube procurement guide

1.Comprehensive documentation

Msatar can provide detailed quality testing reports, including raw material certificates, laboratory test reports, fumigation reports, specification guides, commercial invoices, and guarantees, ensuring the quality transparency and traceability of each batch of products.

2.Fine export packaging

In international shipping, the quality of packaging directly affects whether goods can rust, corrode, scratch, deform, or suffer other damages during transport. Therefore, high-quality packaging materials are crucial. Msatar has years of export packaging experience, providing safe and reliable packaging solutions for thousands of businesses. By using fumigated wooden boxes, wooden pallets, and other high-quality packaging materials, our packaging damage rate is only one-third of the industry average.

3.Professional loading solutions

Our experienced order-following team can provide flexible and diverse loading solutions, including options for 20/40-foot containers or bulk ships. Regardless of your cargo specifications and shapes, we can customize a refined loading plan that saves an average of 15% container space, effectively reducing your logistics costs.

UNS A96066 aluminum tube knowledge center

Equivalent name of 6066 aluminum alloy

• BS 2 L84
• UNS A96066
• ISO AlMg0.7Si

Standards and specifications of 6066 aluminum tube

• AMS QQ-A-200/10A - Aluminum Alloy 6066, Bar, Rod, Shapes, Tube, and Wire, Extruded
• ASTM B241 - Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Seamless Pipe and Seamless Extruded Tube
• ASTM B221 - Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes
• ASTM B247 - Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Die Forgings, Hand Forgings, and Rolled Ring Forgings

Chemical composition of 6066 aluminum tube

Physical properties of 6066 aluminum tube

Mechanical properties of 6066 aluminum tube

6060 vs 6066

• Strength: 6066 aluminum exhibits significantly higher strength compared to 6060. After T6 treatment, 6066 has greater tensile strength, making it suitable for high-strength structural components. 6060 has lower strength, typically used in applications with less demanding strength requirements.
• Machinability: 6060 aluminum alloy has better machinability, weldability, and formability, making it suitable for extrusion and construction applications. 6066 can also be machined but is more commonly used in scenarios requiring strength.
• Applications: 6060 is often found in construction and decorative materials, while 6066 is more frequently used in high-demand mechanical structures, aerospace components, and bicycle frames.

6061 vs 6066

6066 and 6061 have a high similarity in alloy composition, reaching up to 98%, but 6066 outperforms 6061 in strength:

• Strength: 6066 aluminum alloy has a higher tensile strength compared to 6061, particularly after T6 treatment, making 6066 more suitable for high-stress applications. While 6061 has slightly lower strength, it still possesses good mechanical properties.
• Machinability and Weldability: 6061 offers slightly better machinability and weldability than 6066, making it suitable for a wide range of industrial uses. While 6066 also has good weldability, its high strength makes it more appropriate for use in high-stress environments.
• Applications: 6061 is common in automotive parts and building frames, while 6066 is more frequently used in aerospace, pressure vessels, and high-strength mechanical components.

Why is 6066 aluminum tube ideal for high-end bicycle manufacturing?

6066 aluminum alloy is the ideal material for high-end bicycle manufacturing due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent fatigue resistance, and machining flexibility.

1.High Strength-to-Weight Ratio

Compared to common 6061 aluminum, 6066 aluminum alloy offers higher strength while maintaining lightweight characteristics. This allows bike frames to minimize weight without compromising strength, providing riders with a lightweight and efficient cycling experience. High-end bicycles, especially those used for racing and off-roading, require both lightness and rigidity, and 6066 aluminum excels in this area.

2.Excellent Fatigue Resistance

6066 aluminum alloy significantly improves fatigue resistance compared to 6061 aluminum, which is crucial for bicycles used in high-intensity, long-duration activities. Whether in racing or off-road riding, frames must withstand repeated impacts and vibrations without sacrificing structural integrity. The high fatigue resistance of 6066 aluminum ensures durability and safety for the frames.

3.Good Machinability

6066 aluminum tubes can be efficiently produced through traditional machining processes such as extrusion, welding, and turning. In high-end bicycle frame manufacturing, complex tube designs and multiple weld points are unavoidable. 6066 aluminum alloy performs consistently in these processes, achieving the optimal balance of strength and lightweight design. Additionally, 6066 aluminum can be anodized to enhance corrosion resistance and extend outdoor lifespan.

4.Durability and Stable Performance

6066 aluminum alloy significantly enhances strength and crack resistance through optimized heat treatment processes (such as T6 and T651), ensuring that frames remain robust and stable after long-term use. This is especially critical in the high-end bicycle market, where customers seek long-lasting products that maintain performance over time.