Aluminium 4043 Mig Welders Wire 1.0mm x 0.5Kg Reel

Description

Aluminium 4043 Mig Welders Wire 1.0mm x 0.5Kg Reel
As a basic description we can say that 4043 is an aluminum filler alloy with 5% silicon added and that 5356 is an aluminum filler alloy with 5% magnesium added.

There are some misconceptions within the industry that you can successfully weld any aluminum base alloy with either 4043 or 5356 filler alloy. we must start by saying that this is not the case. However, there are many common structural aluminum base alloys that can be welded with either 4043 or 5356. One such alloy is 6061.

Aluminium 4043 Mig Welders Wire 1.0mm x 0.5Kg Reel
The question here is when should we choose one of these filler alloys over the other?

When the filler alloy selection chart allows the use of either 4043 or 5356 as filler for a specific base alloy, as a guide, we may wish to consider the following facts about each of these filler alloys.

• 4043 should not be used if you are considering the best color match after post weld anodizing, as this filler alloy will typically turn dark gray in color after the anodizing process. 5356 will provide a much closer color match after anodizing.
• 4043 is suitable for service temperatures above 150 Deg. F, however, 5356, because of its 5% magnesium content is not suitable for these elevated temperature applications.
• 4043 has lower ductility than that of 5356. This may be of some consideration if forming, after welding is to be carried out.
• 4043 has lower shear strength than that of 5356 (see Fig 1). This may be of consideration when calculating the size of fillet welds.
• 4043 is a softer alloy in the form of spooled wire, when compared to 5356. Typically when Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), feedability will become a less critical issue when feeding the more rigid 5356 alloy.
• 4043 will typically provide a higher rating for weldability and provide slightly lower crack sensitivity. 4043 will generally tend to produce welds with improved cosmetic appearance, smoother surfaces, less spatter and less smut. For this reason, it is sometimes more appealing to the welder.

Aluminium 4043 Mig Welders Wire 1.0mm x 0.5Kg Reel
4043 is designed for welding 6xxx series aluminum alloys. It may also be used to weld 3xxx series alloys or 2xxx alloys. 4043 has a lower melting point and more fluidity than the 5xxx series filler alloys, and is preferred by most welders because it “wets and flows better” and it’s less sensitive to weld cracking with the 6xxx series base alloys. 4043 can also be used for welding castings. 4043 also makes brighter looking MIG welds with less smut because it doesn’t contain magnesium. 4043 gives more weld penetration than 5356, but produces welds with less ductility than those made using 5356. However, 4043 is not well suited for welding Al-Mg alloys and should not be used with high Mg content alloys such as 5083, 5086 or 5456 because excessive magnesium-silicide (Mg2Si) can develop in the weld structure to decrease ductility and increase crack sensitivity. (One exception to this rule is 5052, which has a low magnesium content.)

5356 wire has become the most commonly used of all aluminum filler alloys because of its good strength and its good feed-ability when used as a MIG electrode wire. It is designed to weld 5xxx series structural alloys and 6xxx series extrusions, basically anything other than castings, because castings are high in silicon. Its one limitation is that 5356 is not suitable for service temperatures exceeding 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius). The formation of Al2Mg at elevated temperatures at the grain boundaries makes the alloys prone to stress corrosion. For components that will be anodized after welding, 5356 is recommended over 4043, which turns jet black when anodized.