Cold heading
O and H12 heads cleanly with large upset ratios. Use clean dies and a light lubricant; pick-up on tooling, not cracking, is the usual problem.
Aerospace · commercially pure wire
1050 Aerospace Aluminium Wire
1050 wire is 99.5 % pure aluminium drawn to round, square or flat section. It is chosen in aircraft and ground equipment where a part must bend, head or conduct well rather than carry load: soft rivets, lock and tie wire, bonding and earthing parts, mesh and formed clips. Metline supplies 1050 and 1050A wire in annealed and strain-hardened tempers with mill certificates, worldwide.
- Alloy
- 1050 / EN AW-1050A
- Purity
- 99.50 % Al min
- Tempers
- O, H12 – H18, H22 – H28
- Forms
- Round, square, flat; coil or lengths
What 1050 wire does in an aircraft programme
1050 is the 99.5 % grade of the 1xxx series. With no deliberate alloying additions, it is the softest and most ductile wire most aerospace buyers will ever specify, and also one of the most conductive.
Strength in 1050 comes only from cold work. Each pass through a drawing die hardens the wire, and an anneal returns it to the fully soft O temper. That gives the buyer a simple choice: order O for wire that will be coiled, wrapped, upset or flattened in a later operation, or a hard temper (H14 to H18) when the wire must hold its shape, run straight through a feeder, or resist handling damage.
In aerospace the grade sits well away from primary structure. Typical duties are secondary and support items where ductility, corrosion resistance and conductivity matter: formed clips, cable ties and lacing, wire mesh for screens and filters, earthing and bonding hardware, gasket and seal reinforcement, and cold-headed blanks for low-load fasteners. On aircraft ground support equipment, 1050 wire turns up in guards, tie-downs and electrical fittings.
1050 and 1050A chemical composition (wt %)
Two closely related designations are in use. 1050 is the Aluminum Association registration; EN AW-1050A (Al99.5) is the European grade most wire mills in Europe and Asia actually draw. The limits differ only slightly, and a mill certificate will normally state which one the lot conforms to.
| Element | 1050 (AA) | EN AW-1050A |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon (Si) | 0.25 max | 0.25 max |
| Iron (Fe) | 0.40 max | 0.40 max |
| Copper (Cu) | 0.05 max | 0.05 max |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.05 max | 0.05 max |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 0.05 max | 0.05 max |
| Zinc (Zn) | 0.05 max | 0.07 max |
| Titanium (Ti) | 0.03 max | 0.05 max |
| Vanadium (V) | 0.05 max | — |
| Others, each | 0.03 max | 0.03 max |
| Aluminium (Al) | 99.50 min | 99.50 min |
Iron is the main impurity. A maximum of 0.40 % Fe is the correct limit; some older data sheets misprint it.
Mechanical properties of 1050 wire by temper
The ranges below are the tensile limits used for 1050A wrought products in the European standards, and are a sound guide for drawn wire. Exact limits for wire depend on diameter and on the specification named on the order, so always check the certificate against your drawing. Hardness is rarely specified for wire and is not listed.
| Temper | Condition | Tensile strength Rm (MPa) | 0.2 % proof Rp0.2 min (MPa) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O | Annealed, fully soft | 65 – 95 | 20 |
| H12 | Strain-hardened, quarter hard | 85 – 125 | 65 |
| H14 | Strain-hardened, half hard | 105 – 145 | 85 |
| H16 | Strain-hardened, three-quarter hard | 120 – 160 | 100 |
| H18 | Strain-hardened, full hard | 140 min | 120 |
| H22 / H24 / H26 | Strain-hardened then partially annealed | As H12 / H14 / H16 | Slightly lower than H1x |
Physical properties (typical)
- Density
- 2.70 g/cm³
- Melting range
- about 646 – 657 °C
- Electrical conductivity
- about 61 – 62 % IACS (O temper)
- Thermal conductivity
- about 229 W/m·K
- Modulus of elasticity
- about 69 GPa
- Thermal expansion
- about 23.6 µm/m·°C (20 – 100 °C)
The H2x tempers are worth knowing about. They are hardened beyond the target and then partially annealed back, which gives the same strength as the matching H1x temper with noticeably more elongation. For wire that is bent sharply after delivery, H24 is often a better choice than H14.
Standards for 1050 wire, and what to put on the order
1050 wire is less tightly tied to aerospace material specifications than 1100, so the purchase order needs to name the document precisely. The common routes are:
| Document | What it covers | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| EN 573-3 | Chemical composition of EN AW-1050A | The usual chemistry reference for European and Asian mills |
| EN 1301-1 / -2 / -3 | Drawn aluminium wire: delivery conditions, properties, tolerances | Practical choice for drawn 1050A wire |
| ISO 209 | Chemical composition of wrought aluminium | International equivalent designation Al99.5 |
| Customer or OEM specification | Programme-specific requirements | Quote number and revision; we confirm compliance before order |
A note on US documents: ASTM B211 and QQ-A-225/1 (now AMS-QQ-A-225/1) are often seen on older data sheets for this product, but the commercially pure grade they cover is 1100, not 1050. If your drawing calls for one of those documents, order 1100 wire, which we also supply.
Sizes, forms and packing
1050 / 1050A wire supply range
- Round wire
- about 1 – 12 mm diameter drawn; larger sizes as drawn or extruded rod
- Square and flat wire
- Drawn or rolled to section; edge radius to drawing
- Tempers
- O, H12, H14, H16, H18 and H22 – H28 on request
- Put-up
- Coils, spools or straightened cut lengths
- Surface
- Clean, bright, free of lubricant residue where required for bonding or welding
- Certification
- EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate; certificate of conformity on request
Diameter tolerance and coil weight depend on the size and the standard; state them on the enquiry.
Soft wire marks easily. For O-temper wire we recommend layer-wound spools or coils with interleaving, packed in sealed polythene with desiccant, so the surface reaches you without kinks, scratches or water staining.
Forming, joining and finishing 1050 wire
Bending and coiling
O temper bends flat on itself. Hard tempers spring back more and need a tighter mandrel; H24 is a good compromise.
Welding and brazing
Excellent weldability by TIG and MIG with 1100 or 4043 filler, and good brazeability. Joints lose any strain hardening in the heat-affected zone.
Electrical joints
Remove the oxide before crimping or bolting and use compatible terminals to avoid galvanic attack where copper is involved.
Anodising
Gives a clear, bright anodic film; 1050 is often chosen for decorative or reflective parts for this reason.
Corrosion
Very good resistance to atmosphere, fresh water and many chemicals. Isolate from carbon fibre and copper alloys in wet conditions.
1050 compared with 1100, 1350 and 5056 wire
| Property | 1050 / 1050A | 1100 | 1350 | 5056 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium content | 99.50 % min | 99.00 % min | 99.50 % min | ~94 % (5 % Mg) |
| Typical O-temper tensile | ~75 MPa | ~90 MPa | ~85 MPa | ~290 MPa |
| Conductivity | ~61 % IACS | ~59 % IACS | 61.0 – 61.8 % IACS min by temper | ~29 % IACS |
| Formability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Typical aerospace use | Ties, mesh, soft parts | A-type rivets, formed parts | Electrical conductors | Rivets, mesh needing strength |
Choose 1050 when the softest, most conductive general-purpose wire is wanted; 1100 when the drawing names US specifications or rivet wire; 1350 when guaranteed electrical conductivity is the specification; and a 5xxx grade such as 5056 when the wire must carry real load.
How to order 1050 aerospace wire
- SpecifyAlloy and temper, section and diameter, coil or cut length, quantity and the governing specification with its revision (for example EN 1301 with EN 573-3 chemistry, or your OEM specification).
- ConfirmWe confirm the specification can be met, the tolerance class, test requirements and delivery terms (EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP).
- InspectMaterial is checked for dimensions and surface condition; any extra tests named on the order are carried out or arranged.
- DocumentEach lot ships with a mill test certificate to EN 10204 3.1 showing chemistry and mechanical results, traceable to the heat or lot number.
- Pack and shipExport packing in sealed, moisture-protected cases or on pallets, shipped by sea or air to your port or door.
References and standards
- The Aluminum Association – International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits (Teal Sheets)
- EN 573-3 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys: chemical composition and form of wrought products
- EN 1301 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys: drawn wire (parts 1 to 3)
- ISO 209 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys: chemical composition
- ASM Handbook, Vol. 2 – Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials
1050 aerospace aluminium (aluminum) wire: questions buyers ask
What is the difference between 1050 and 1050A wire?
Both are 99.5 % aluminium. 1050 is the Aluminum Association grade; 1050A is the European EN AW grade, with slightly different limits on zinc and titanium and no vanadium limit. For most wire applications they are interchangeable, but the certificate must match the grade on your drawing.
Which temper of 1050 wire should I order for cold heading or bending?
O or H12 for cold heading and severe forming. For wire that is bent after delivery but must stay reasonably stiff, H24 gives H14-level strength with more elongation.
Can 1050 wire be used for structural rivets?
No. 1050 has a tensile strength of roughly 65 – 95 MPa when annealed, which suits only non-structural fastening. Structural aircraft rivets use 2117, 2017, 2024 or 7050 wire.
Is 1050 wire covered by ASTM B211?
The commercially pure grade in ASTM B211 is 1100. 1050A wire is normally supplied to EN 1301 with EN 573-3 chemistry, or to a customer specification.
How conductive is 1050 aluminium wire?
Annealed 1050 reaches roughly 61 – 62 % IACS. If you need a guaranteed conductivity minimum, specify 1350 electrical-grade wire instead.
Do you supply 1050 wire outside India?
Yes. Metline ships 1050 and 1050A wire worldwide from Mumbai, with EN 10204 3.1 certificates and export packing.
Need 1050 wire for an aerospace or ground-equipment part?
Send the section, temper, put-up, quantity and specification. We will confirm availability and the documents that come with it.
