To obtain materials for a wide range of application and thereby, product improvement, other metallic elements are added to the aluminium. The alloying technique enables the properties of the original metal to be changed, for example, in terms of tensile strength, hardness, formability, surface properties, corrosion resistance, welding properties and conductivity. For aluminium profiles the most common alloy elements are magnesium and silicon. Others are manganese, copper, zinc, bismuth, chrome and titanium.

Aluminium alloys or aluminum alloys are alloys of aluminum, often with copper, zinc, manganese, silicon, or magnesium. They are much lighter and more corrosion resistant than plain carbon steel, but not quite as corrosion resistant as pure aluminum. Bare aluminum alloy surfaces will keep their apparent shine in a dry environment, but light amounts of corrosion products rub off easily onto skin when touched.