From cans to aircraft, aluminum has become a fundamental material for architecture and industry. Once this “noble metal” was more expensive than gold, now it has become a core material for a sustainable economy. Here, we will list some intresting facts about aluminum elements and show you how aluminum has changed through technology.

Aluminum In The Past – More Expensive Than Gold

In the mid-19th century, aluminum was considered a more valuable metal than gold because of its rarity and difficulty in refining.

  • The French Emperor Napoleon III used only aluminum tableware at his banquets, while his guests used gold and silver tableware. At that time, the price of aluminum far exceeded that of gold, and aluminum articles became a symbol of power and wealth.

  • At the 1855 Paris World’s Fair, aluminum was labeled “Silver from Clay” and displayed alongside the crown jewels.

  • At the 1889 London World’s Fair, aluminum was displayed as a rare metal alongside gold, highlighting its scarcity.

Aluminum Now – Everywhere

When you pull open a can of soda or push open a window, aluminum is integrated into every detail of life.

  • The Global annual production of aluminum is more than 69 million tons.

  • The global annual output of recycled aluminum is more than 34 million tons.

  • The top three industries that use aluminum are:

    1. Transportation industries account for 28%- 30%. (including automobiles, airplanes, high-speed railways, subways, buses, ships, etc.)
    2. Building and construction industry for 22%-25%. (including doors and windows, curtain walls, aluminum for building construction, and decorative aluminum)
    3. Packaging industries 18%-20%. (cans, food foils, etc.)

Reasons For The Wide Use Of Aluminum

The core reasons for aluminum from a rare precious metal to an industrial base material are a combination of technological breakthroughs, resource development, and characteristic advantages.

Technological Breakthrough

  • In 1886, the American scientist Charles Hall and the French scientist Paul Héroult independently invented the cryolite-alumina molten salt electrolysis method almost simultaneously. Electrolysis caused the price of aluminum to plummet 90% in 20 years.

Rich Resource Reserves

The abundant bauxite reserves provide sufficient raw material for the mass use of aluminum. It further reduces the cost of production.

  • Aluminum accounts for 8.1% of the total mass of the earth’s crust and is the most abundant metallic element in the earth’s crust, far exceeding other metals such as iron (5%) and copper (0.006%).

  • Aluminum exists in nature in the form of bauxite.

  • The distribution of bauxite in the world is mainly concentrated in: Guinea (24%), Australia (16%), Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia.

Physical and Chemical Properties

  • Aluminum is very light.

    Aluminum has a density of about 2.7 g/cm3. Compared to iron (7.86 g/cm3) and copper (8.96 g/cm3), aluminum has a significantly lower density, which makes the same volume of aluminum products much lighter than other metals.

    CLICK Aluminum Vs. Steel

  • Aluminum has high strength.

    Through alloying and heat treatment, aluminum’s strength increases significantly. For example, the strength of 7075T6 alloy can reach more than 500MPa.

    CLICK Yield Strength vs. Tensile Strength: Guide to Choose Aluminum Alloy

  • Aluminum has good ductility.

    Through different processes, aluminum can be made into aluminum wire, aluminum sheet, aluminum foil, aluminum bar, aluminum tube, aluminum profile, and aluminum parts with complex shapes.

  • Aluminum has good thermal conductivity.

    With a coefficient of thermal conductivity of about 237 W/(m・K), aluminum excels among common metals and is often used in heat sinks.

    CLICK Is Aluminum a Good Conductor of Electricity?

  • Aluminum has good fire resistance.

    The surface of aluminum is prone to form a dense film of aluminum oxide in the air, which has a high melting point (about 2050°C) and chemical stability. This makes it more resistant to heat and flame erosion in the early stages of a fire.

    CLICK Understanding the Melting Point of Aluminum

  • Aluminum does not rust.

    A dense film of aluminum oxide forms easily on the surface of aluminum. This oxide film is highly stable and corrosion-resistant.

    CLICK Does Aluminum Corrode? How To Prevent Aluminum Corrosion?

  • Aluminum can be recycled.

    Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable metal, and recycling aluminum can effectively conserve bauxite resources. Recycling aluminum requires about 5% less energy than extracting primary aluminum from bauxite.

Aluminum on the Timeline – Historical Facts

1807-1809

aluminium Humphrey Davey

Humphry Davy, a British chemist, tried unsuccessfully to extract metallic aluminum by electrolysis of molten alumina. He proposed the name Alumium and later changed to Aluminium.

CLICK Aluminium OR Aluminum to know the difference.

1825

Hans Christian Ørsted

Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted used potassium amalgam to reduce anhydrous aluminum chloride, obtaining a small amount of metallic aluminum (a few milligrams) for the first time.

1854

Henri_Sainte-Claire_Deville

Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville, a French scientist, achieved small-scale production of aluminium by reducing NaAlCl₄ complex salts with sodium. Metal aluminium was expensive at this time.

1886

Great Breakthrough

C.M. Hall and Paul.L.T. Héroult

American scientist Charles Martin Hall and French scientist Paul (Louis-Toussaint) Héroult invented the cryolite-alumina molten salt electrolysis method (Hall-Héroult process) almost simultaneously, which dramatically lowered the cost of aluminium production. Aluminium was transformed from a rare precious metal into a basic industrial material.

1888

The world’s first aluminum electrolysis plant ( The Pittsburgh Reduction Company ) was established by Charles Martin Hall and his associates in Pittsburgh, USA, and aluminium began to be produced on a large scale.

This plant is now well known as Alcoa ( Aluminum Company of America ).

1899

The first use of aluminum body in automobile.

1903

Aluminum parts were used by the Wright Brothers in the manufacture of the first airplane, the Wright Flyer, marking the first use of aluminum in aviation.

1906

German metallurgist Alfred Wilm invented hard aluminum alloy (Al-Cu-Mg), which increased the strength of aluminum by 2 times. We call Al-Cu-Mg alloy the “2xxx” aluminum alloy, which is always used in aircraft.

1936

The Extra Super Duralumin (Al-Zn) was developed by Sumitomo Metal in Japan. This Al-Zn alloy is now well known as “7xxx” alloy.

1956

Aluminum production exceeded copper worldwide and became the highest-producing non-ferrous metal. Aluminum is widely used in construction, packaging, electronics, vehicles, and other industries.

2010s

More use of aluminum alloy in high-speed rail, new energy vehicles, aerospace, and green energy industries.

We believe that with the innovation of technology, aluminum will surely create more possibilities for us with its excellent performance and wide applications.

FONNOV ALUMINUM EXTRUSION & FABRICATION

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