The Choice of Aluminum Alloys for Hazardous Chemical Tanker Truck

The core requirements for aluminum alloys used in hazardous chemical tank trucks are "strong corrosion resistance, excellent weldability, stable mechanical strength, and wide compatibility with various media," while also meeting lightweight requirements to improve transportation efficiency.

Based on this premise, the mainstream aluminum alloys for tank trucks on the market are concentrated in the 5-series aluminum-magnesium alloy family, supplemented by a small amount of 6-series and 7-series alloys for special components. Among them, 5083, 5182, and 5454 are the three most core grades.

5083 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy

5083 aluminum-magnesium alloy is one of the preferred materials for the tank body, end caps, and baffles of hazardous chemical tank trucks, and is currently the most widely used aluminum alloy grade for tank trucks. Its magnesium content is between 4.0% and 4.9%, belonging to medium-strength aluminum-magnesium alloys, perfectly matching the basic requirements of most hazardous chemical transportation.

There are three main reasons for choosing 5083: Firstly, its excellent corrosion resistance; it is highly compatible with most hazardous chemicals such as acetone, benzene, gasoline, diesel, and kerosene. The dense oxide film formed on its surface effectively resists chemical erosion, eliminating the need for additional anti-corrosion treatment and significantly reducing maintenance costs.

Secondly, its excellent weldability; minimal strength loss after welding, allowing for a one-time encapsulation process that reduces the number of welds on the tank body, minimizing the risk of leakage at the source—crucial for hazardous chemical transportation.

Thirdly, its balanced mechanical properties; in 5083 h321, O, H111, and H116 tempers, its tensile strength can reach 290-387 MPa, capable of withstanding the impacts of transportation. Even in the event of a collision, its excellent energy absorption properties prevent tank body cracking.

5182 Aluminum Alloy

5182 aluminum-magnesium alloy, also a 5-series alloy, is a commonly used material for hazardous chemical tanker bodies, especially for the end caps, and is particularly suitable for applications requiring high material ductility. As a high-magnesium alloy, it meets international hazardous chemical transportation standards such as the European ADR, ensuring greater safety.

The core advantages of 5182 sheet metal lie in its high ductility and formability: its elongation after fracture reaches over 26%, far exceeding the 20% of 5083, making it less prone to cracking during the stamping process of tank heads and adaptable to complex curved surface machining requirements.

Simultaneously, its weldability and corrosion resistance are comparable to 5083, allowing it to be used in conjunction with 5083 to further enhance the stability of the tank structure. Furthermore, 5182 offers superior lightweighting; combined with a one-piece molding process, it can reduce the overall vehicle weight by over 30%, further improving transport efficiency.

Tanks using 5182 aluminum can absorb energy through their own ductility in extreme situations such as rollovers and collisions, preventing tank cracking and leakage, fundamentally reducing the risk of explosion. Therefore, 5182 is commonly used in tank trucks transporting flammable and volatile hazardous chemicals such as gasoline, diesel, and methanol, and is particularly suitable for long-distance, high-efficiency transportation scenarios.

5454 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy

If the hazardous chemicals being transported require storage or transportation at high temperatures, 5454 aluminum-magnesium alloy is a more suitable choice. It also belongs to the 5-series aluminum-magnesium alloys and is mainly used in the tank bodies and components of tank trucks transporting oil and gas, and high-temperature chemical liquids.

The core competitiveness of 5454 is its "high-temperature stability": at high service temperatures, it maintains stable mechanical strength and corrosion resistance without performance degradation due to temperature increases. This is crucial for tank trucks transporting heated chemical media (such as some petroleum derivatives and chemical raw materials).

Furthermore, it has good weldability and formability, and can be processed into plates of different thicknesses to meet tank specifications ranging from 4.0 to 8.0 mm. It is often used in conjunction with 5083 and 5182 to form a composite material selection solution of "main body + special parts".