Duralumin
Alloys · Common · Modern
The alloy that made the aviation age possible. Duralumin achieves near-steel strength at a third of the weight, the engineering breakthrough that allowed the first practical aircraft and airships to be built.
Identity
- Source
- Modern alloy: aluminum, copper, magnesium, manganese
- Made from
- Aluminum, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese
- Aliases
- 2024 aluminum alloy, Aircraft aluminum
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Silver-grey, lighter than steel, develops a white oxide coating
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 2.78 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 650 °C
- Boiling point
- 2300 °C
- Lighter
- Aluminum
- Denser
- Mithral
- Magnetism
- Non-magnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- High
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5
- Tensile strength
- 470 MPa
- Softer
- Shakudo
- Harder
- Hepatizon
- Workability
- Moderate
- Brittleness
- Moderate
- Malleability
- Moderate
- Ductility
- Moderate
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- moderate
- Reactivity
- moderate
Lore & Narrative
Discovered accidentally in 1906 by Alfred Wilm, who found that aluminum alloyed with copper and left to age overnight became dramatically harder. The Zeppelin airships were built from duralumin frames. So were the first commercial aircraft.
- Notable uses
- Aircraft, spacecraft, transportation, sporting equipment
- Forge uses
- aircraft, spacecraft, transportation
- Worldbuilding traits
- lightweight, aviation, modern, structural
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