Here is some technical information and history overview to help you understand the merits of aluminium.
History
Aluminium is the world's 2nd most important metal - from reports on Google
Aluminium is a young metal, having only been produced commercially for 153 years. Despite the fact that copper, lead and tin have been in use for thousands of years, today more aluminium is produced than all other non-ferrous metals combined. Its unique combination of properties makes it suitable for myriad applications. It has become the world's second most used metal after steel. Annual primary production of aluminium in 2006 was around 34 million tonnes and recycled production around 16 million tonnes. The total of some 50 million tonnes compares with 17 million tonnes of copper, 8 million tonnes of lead and 0.4 million tonnes of tin.
Properties and Characteristics
Aluminium is strong, durable, flexible, impermeable and light-weight, it does not rust and is 100 percent recyclable. It comes in a variety of surface finishes and can take many forms, allowing its use in a vast array of products. Nearly three-quarters of all aluminium ever made remains in use today, representing a growing energy and resource bank.The metal can be reused endlessly.
Pure aluminium is a silvery-white metal with many desirable characteristics. It is light, nontoxic (as the metal), nonmagnetic and nonsparking.
It is decorative. It is easily formed, machined, and cast. Alloys with small amounts of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, and other elements have very useful properties.
Strength depends on purity. 99.996 per cent pure aluminium has a tensile strength of about 49 megapascals (MPa), rising to 700 MPa following alloying and suitable heat treatment.
Although not found free in nature, Aluminium is an abundant element in the earth's crust. A key property is low density. Aluminium is only one-third the weight of steel.
Aluminium and most of its alloys are highly resistant to most forms of corrosion. The metal's natural coating of aluminium oxide provides a highly effective barrier to the ravages of air, temperature, moisture and chemical attack.
Aluminium is a superb conductor of electricity. This property allied with other intrinsic qualities has ensured the replacement of copper by aluminium in many situations.
Aluminium is non-magnetic and non-combustible, properties invaluable in advanced industries such as electronics or in offshore structures.
Aluminium is non-toxic and impervious, qualities that have established its use in the food and packaging industries since the earliest times.
Other valuable properties include high reflectivity, heat barrier properties and heat conduction. The metal is malleable and easily worked by the common manufacturing and shaping processes.
It is used in air, road, rail and sea transport; food and medicine; packaging; construction; electronics and electricity transmission.
