An aluminium alloy is an alloy primarily of pure aluminium, mixed with different alloying elements that give rise to an entire range of materials, each of which is designed to maximize a particular characteristic such as strength, ductility, formability, machinability or electrical conductivity.

Aluminium alloys with a wide range of properties are used in engineering structures. Aluminium is used extensively in many places due to its high strength to weight ratio. The strength and durability of aluminium alloys varies widely, not only as a result of the compenents of the specific alloy, but also as a result of heat treatments and manufacturing processes.

Another important is their sensitivity to heat, also are subject to internal stresses following heating operations such as welding and casting.

Polishing - It can be polished, with an abrasive finish or even a high polish.

Lacquering - Aluminium is an extremely reactive metal. It combines instantly on contact with air to form a thin film of aluminium oxide which in turn is extremely unreative and protects the surface from further corrosion. The metal does not stain or visibly corrode (except inextreme chemical environments like salt spray from winter street salt or exposure to seawater) but this smudging is underirable is most environments.

Anodizing - This was invented for aluminium (it also works with titanium), process of dipping the aluminium into a liquid solution the contains chemicals that clear the metal surface of its coating of aluminium oxide whereupon a dye is introduced into the solution which can now penetrate the surface of the metal to some depth. The process requires a high current to pass through the metal during the process in order to fix the dye and seal the aluminium with a hard surface, so it must be done inanodizing shops and cannot be touched up on site. It produces an extremely durable tint to the metal, the color of which can be specified. However, be aware that most of the anodizing colors available are meant to be used interiors and will fade in the sunlight.

Hard Anodizing - A method for creating an extremely hard surface to any aluminium material. This is used for bolts, sheets that need abrasion resistance etc., or to minimize galvanic between aluminium surfaces and other metals.

Temper is a measure of a metl's resistence to bending or kinking, it does not refer to how hard the metal is. Soft temper means that when it is bent, it stays bent and it does not take much force todo it. Hrad temper means that when it is bent, it springs back flat and it takes a lot of force to put a kink into it. However, bending (kinking) and heating to a high temperature can remove the temper and soften the metal at that point. This is called annealing.

F temper (as fabricated tempers) - Indicates that there has been no effort to control the temper of material.

O temper (annealed temper) - Annealing is a process for heating up metal past a critical temperature whereby the material is relived of the material stresses from production or fabrication. It is the lowest temper available (the most easily bent).

W temper (solution heta treated temper) - Metal that has undergone a specific procedure to produce a temper for batch of metal in order to comply with some specific need.

H temper (strain-hardened temper) - Designates a process of stretching or compressing in order to impart a particular temper.

H_1 (1/8 hard)	H_5 (5/8 hard)
H_2 (1/4 hard)	H_6 (3/4 hard)
H_3 (3/8 hard)	H_7 (7/8 hard)
H_4 (1/2 hard)	H_8 (Full hard)

T temper (thermally treated temper) - These tempers imparted by heating or cooling in a controlled way. T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, T9, T10.