ForMatter/Materials/metal/Aluminum 7075
mat_aluminum_7075

Aluminum 7075

wrought aluminum alloy, zinc-magnesium-copper · 7075-T6, aircraft aluminum, AlZnMgCu, Al-Zn-Mg-Cu
highlast updated 2026-04-26
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

The strong-but-stiff aluminum — close to mild-steel strength at a third the weight. Used in aircraft skins, racing bicycle parts, drone frames, and any place 6061 isn't strong enough. Harder to weld than 6061; vulnerable to stress-corrosion cracking in some tempers.

Heat-treatable wrought alloy with 5.6% Zn, 2.5% Mg, 1.6% Cu. Highest strength of standard aluminum alloys. T6 temper yields ~503 MPa — comparable to mild steel — at 2.81 g/cm³ density. Welding is feasible but reduces strength dramatically in the heat-affected zone; aerospace assemblies prefer rivets or adhesive bonding for primary load paths.

mechanical

  • tensile_strength_mpa572
  • yield_strength_mpa503
  • elastic_modulus_gpa71.7
  • elongation_pct11
  • hardness_brinell150
  • density_kg_m32810
source: MakeItFrom; ASM Handbook Vol. 2

thermal

  • melting_point_c477
  • thermal_conductivity_w_mk130

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg9.5
  • sourceEditorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
  • embodied carbon recycled kg co2e per kg0.65
  • recyclabilityhigh — closed-loop in aerospace; alloy distinct enough that mixing with other Al grades degrades strength, so sorting matters
  • biodegradableFalse
  • certifications—
visual
matte silver as-machined; anodizes less reliably than 6061 (zinc content interferes)
tactile
harder under file or tool than 6061; cool
weight perception
light — 35% less dense than steel
acoustic
ringing tap, brighter than 6061

PBR starter values

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere metallic finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# finish:      metallic
albedo        #b8bcc4
metallic      1.00
roughness     0.25
ior           1.45
transmission  0.00
clearcoat     0.00
sheen         0.00
anisotropic   0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#b8bcc4",
  "metallic": 1.0,
  "roughness": 0.25,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.0,
  "sheen": 0.0,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Aluminum 7075 · finish: metallic
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_aluminum_7075")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.4793, 0.5029, 0.552, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 1.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.250
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Aluminum 7075 · finish: metallic
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_aluminum_7075", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (184, 188, 196))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     1.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.250)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.000)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Aluminum 7075 \u00b7 finish: metallic",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.4793,
    "g": 0.5029,
    "b": 0.552
  },
  "metallic": 1.0,
  "roughness": 0.25,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_aluminum_7075",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.4793,
          0.5029,
          0.552,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 1.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.25
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Aluminum 7075 · finish: metallic
def Material "mat_aluminum_7075" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_aluminum_7075/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.4793, 0.5029, 0.552)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 1.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.250
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.000
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
ProcessCNC Milling · Riveting · Adhesive Bonding · Sheet-Metal Bending
Used inDrone Chassis · Bicycle frame
Substitutes
Aluminum 6061
Titanium Grade 9 (Ti-3Al-2.5V)
Carbon Fiber (T700, in epoxy)

Citations