The 5086 aluminum sheet with H32 temper has an unpolished (mill) surface, meets American Society for Testing and Materials International ASTM B209, American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME SB209, and SAE Aerospace Material Specifications AMS-QQ-A-250/7 standards, and has a standard tolerance. The 5086 aluminum alloy has high corrosion resistance in marine environments and good weldability, and is stronger than 5052 aluminum. It is not heat treatable. The aluminum has an H32 temper, meaning it has been strain hardened to a 1/4 hard temper and thermally stabilized.

Aluminum and aluminum alloys are lightweight compared to steel, brass, and copper, and have high strength-to-weight ratios. They offer good corrosion resistance and conductivity of heat and electricity, as well as moderate formability and machinability. Aluminum alloys include elements that modify the aluminum to achieve specific properties such as better weldability or greater strength. All series of aluminum alloys are nonmagnetic. Aluminum alloys have temper designations, indicating that the material has undergone a process to achieve certain properties of strength and hardness.

Tensile strength, used to indicate the material’s overall strength, is the peak stress it can withstand before it breaks. Corrosion resistance describes the material's ability to prevent deterioration caused by atmosphere, moisture, or other medium. Wear resistance indicates the ability to prevent surface damage caused by contact with other surfaces. Toughness describes the material's ability to absorb energy before breaking, while hardness (commonly measured as indentation hardness) describes its resistance to permanent surface deformation. Formability indicates how easily the material can be permanently shaped. Machinability describes how easily it can be cut, shaped, finished, or otherwise machined, while weldability characterizes the ability to be welded.