Most Common Uses of Aluminum

Aluminum is the third most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, and the third most abundant element overall.

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No other metal can compare to Aluminum when it comes to its variety of uses. Some uses of aluminum may not be immediately obvious; for example, did you know aluminum is used in the manufacturing of glass?

Aluminum is incredibly popular because it is:

• Lightweight
• Strong
• Resistant to corrosion
• Durable
• Ductile
• Malleable
• Conductive
• Odorless

Aluminum is also theoretically 100% recyclable with no loss of its natural properties. It also takes 5% of the energy to recycle scrap aluminum then what is used to produce new aluminum.

The Most Common Uses of Aluminum

The most common uses of aluminum include:

• Transportation
• Construction
• Electrical
• Consumer Goods

Transportation

Aluminum is used in transportation because of its unbeatable strength to weight ratio. Its lighter weight means that less force is required to move the vehicle, leading to greater fuel efficiency. Although aluminum is not the strongest metal, alloying it with other metals helps to increase its strength. Its corrosion resistance is an added bonus, eliminating the need for heavy and expensive anti-corrosion coatings.

While the auto industry still relies heavily on steel, the drive to increase fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions has led to a much wider use of aluminum. Experts predict that the average aluminum content in a car will increase by 60% by 2025.

High-speed rail systems like the Shinkansen in Japan and the Maglev in Shanghai also use aluminum. The metal allows designers to reduce the weight of the trains, cutting down on friction resistance.

Aluminum is also known as the ‘winged metal’ because it is ideal for aircraft; again, due to being light, strong and flexible. In fact, aluminum was used in the frames of Zeppelin airships before airplanes had even been invented. Today, modern aircraft use aluminum alloys throughout, from the fuselage to the cockpit instruments. Even spacecraft, such as space shuttles, contain 50% to 90% of aluminum alloys in their parts.

Construction

Buildings made with aluminum are virtually maintenance free due to aluminum’s resistance to corrosion. Aluminum is also thermally efficient, which keeps homes warm in winter and cool in summer. Add the fact that aluminum has a pleasing finish and can be curved, cut and welded to any desired shape, it allows modern architects unlimited freedom to create buildings that would be impossible to make from wood, plastic, or steel.

The first building in which aluminum was widely used was the Empire State Building in New York, built in 1931. Today, aluminum is regularly used in the construction of high-rise buildings and bridges. The lighter weight of aluminum makes it easier, faster and more convenient to work with. It also helps reduce other costs. A building constructed of steel would require much deeper foundations due to the added weight, which would drive up construction costs.

Notable modern buildings made from aluminum include the Bank of China headquarters in Hong Kong and Zaha Hadid’s London Aquatics Centre in London.

Electrical

Although it has just 63% of the electrical conductivity of copper, aluminum’s low density makes it the best option for long distance power lines. If copper was used, support structures would be heavier, more numerous, and more expensive. Aluminum is also more ductile than copper, enabling it to be formed into wires much more easily. Lastly, its corrosion-resistance helps protect wires from the elements.

In addition to power lines and cables, aluminum is used in motors, appliances, and power systems. Television antennae and satellite dishes, even some LED bulbs are made of aluminum.

Consumer Goods

Aluminum’s appearance is the reason it is used frequently in consumer goods.

Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and flat screen TVs are being made with an increasing amount of aluminum. Its appearance makes modern tech gadgets look sleek and sophisticated while being light and durable. It is the perfect combination of form and function which is critical for consumer products. More and more, aluminum is replacing plastic and steel components, as it is stronger and tougher than plastic and lighter than steel. It also allows heat to dissipate quickly, keeping electronic devices from overheating.

Apple uses predominantly aluminum parts in its iPhones and MacBooks. Other hi-end electronics brands like audio manufacturer Bang & Olufsen also heavily favor aluminum.

Interior designers enjoy using aluminum as it’s easy to shape and looks great. Furniture items made from aluminum include tables, chairs, lamps, picture frames and decorative panels.

Of course, the foil in your kitchen is aluminum, as well as pots and frying pans which are frequently made from aluminum. These Aluminum products conduct heat well, are non-toxic, resistant to rust, and are easy to clean.

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Aluminum cans are used to package food and beverages. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been using aluminum cans since 1967.

You must have heard about aluminium or seen aluminium in many different places. This is because aluminium is one of the most useful elements that nature offers. In terms of occurrence, studies show that aluminum comprises about 8% of the earth’s crust, making it the most abundant metal and the third most abundant element in nature.

Aluminium is the 13th element on the periodic table, which means that it has an atomic number of 13. It is highly reactive and readily combines with many other elements to give several useful substances. Aluminum is used in the aerospace, medicine, food packaging, ceramics, automotive, construction industries, and in many other applications. A special form of aluminum known as aluminum target (otherwise known as aluminum sputtering target or aluminum sputter target), which has similar properties as metal aluminum, can be applied in thin film deposition for fuel cell, glass coating, decoration, semiconductor, display, LED and photovoltaic devices, etc.

In this article, we’ll explore 6 of the most common applications of aluminium in everyday life. Before that, let’s quickly take a look at the major properties of aluminum that makes it so popular in use.

Properties of Aluminum

• Compared to most metals, aluminum is relatively resistant to corrosion. This explains its use in kitchen utensils, such as frying pans, griddles, and plates.
• Due to its electrical conductivity, aluminum is commonly used as an electrical cable.
• Aluminum combines with other metals, like copper, magnesium, and iron to form alloys, which are stronger, more durable, and used in many applications.
• Aluminum has high thermal performance, meaning that it is used in products that typically come in contact with very high temperatures.
• It is impermeable to lightwaves, i.e. it has a very high endurance to light.
• It is resistant to changes in weather conditions, making it a desirable product in the manufacturing industry.

Common Application of Aluminum

Here are some of the most common applications of aluminium in everyday life.

Automotive manufacturing

In today’s automotive manufacturing industry, aluminum is a staple raw material. From doors to pistons, intake manifolds, and transmission, aluminium castings have been used vastly. Similarly, it is used in making wheels, brakes, suspension components, steering components, and many other chassis applications. You may not realize it, but the use of aluminum in automotive manufacturing has grown rapidly in recent times. It will likely continue to remain very relevant to automotive manufacturing engineers.

Kitchen utensils

If you are familiar with ceramics, then you have already come in contact with aluminum, right in your homes. Aluminum is commonly used for making utensils like spoons, forks, and knives. Aluminum utensils are typically sturdy and durable. They typically heats and cools down quickly, making aluminum a common material in short-order cooks in fast food chains. Besides, it is much more affordable than other materials.

Construction industry

Have you seen the Empire State Building? It is one of the first structures to use aluminum on its body. Today, aluminum has become a common feature in large scale residential and commercial construction projects. Since aluminum is attributed with several desirable qualities, such as resistance to heat, strong weather conditions, etc., it makes for a suitable material for the construction industry, especially where resistance against adverse weather conditions is a concern.

Because of its lightweight and resistance to corrosion, aluminum is used in making modern-day roofing sheets. Aluminum roofing is now widely used in modern buildings, and many building contractors and homeowners are fast adopting the use of aluminium.

Transportation

Did you know that aluminium is used in manufacturing aircraft? It has been so many years. As we mentioned earlier, aluminum is a lightweight material, which is why it finds wide application in the manufacturing of parts in the aerospace industry. But aside from aircraft, it is used vastly in motor vehicles (discussed above) and ships.

Essentially, aluminum plays a significant, central role in facilitating transportation by providing useful materials to manufacturers, starting from the most basic form of transportation to advanced applications like aviation and maritime manufacturing companies.

Electrical power

This is one aspect where the aluminum target or aluminum sputter target serves a very useful purpose. Remember, we mentioned in the properties of aluminum above that it can conduct electricity. So like copper, aluminum is used extensively to make durable electric cables. Because of its weight and affordability, it is sometimes preferred to other materials like copper and gold.

Aluminum is used in high voltage towers where flexibility and lightweight are needed in power lines. In addition to this, it has high corrosion resistance, making it a desired conductivity material used for wiring in residences and commercial buildings.

For wrapping

Aluminum foil or aluminum paper is used for wrapping many different items, including food. Aluminum paper is generally safe, easy to use and can be recycled easily. They do not cause contamination or food poisoning.

Aside from these, aluminum has several other applications in everyday life. This includes product packaging, medicine, paint production, furniture, and so on. For more information, you can visit our homepage.

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