Aerospace - The absolute requirement for light structures, made only stronger by environmental regulations,

make aluminium and its alloys now more than ever the number one material in the sky. In the last 35 years,
newly designed alloys and increasingly innovative conversion and assembly processes have halved the weight of
an airplane's structure. Their percentage in aircraft sructures sold to airlines companies 70% of what goes into an
airframe and are an indispensable part of the programs in the world.

Automotive - Chassis, bodies, engine blocks, radiators, hubcaps... Driven by consumer needs and increasingly
tight regulations, the automobile industry has made ample recourse to aluminium. A European car today contains
on average 100 kg of aluminium, taking advantage of multiple properties of the materials: lightness (a 100 kg
loss of weight reduces fuel consumption by 0.6 litres/100 km and greenhouse gases by 20%), resistance
(improved road-handling, absorption of kinetic energy, shorter braking distance) and recycling (95% of the
aluminium contained in autos is collected and recycled, and represents over 50% of the vehicle's total end-of-life
value.) The automotive use of aluminium is expected to double in the next ten years.

Marine - Marine transport is increasing its use of aluminium by capitalizing on its two leading qualities: lightness
and corrosion resistance. Advanced alloys have enabled the design of high-speed ships, by lightening hulls by
40% to 50% over steel. Corrosion resistance, even on the water, makes for more durable hulls, masts and
superstructures on pleasure boats and the bridges and superstructures of passenger ships and merchant ships.

Rail - Lighter structures, resistance and durability have made aluminium crucial to rail transport applications. The
French SNCF 2-level high-speed train is made of aluminium alloy sheet metal and extrusions, as are many
subways and commuter trains throughout the world.

Building - Commonly used in extruded, sheet-rolled or molded form for window frames and other glass supports,
for siding and partitions, aluminium is a favorite element of modern architecture. It can be made into complex
forms in an extensive range of colors, stands up to the weather and calls for very little maintenance. These
features make it especially valued by architects and builders, who use it in public buildings (like hospitals,
universities and office buildings), industrial buildings and private houses.

Packaging - Modern packaging is one of the leading consumers of aluminium. Its lightness saves both on the
material and the energy it takes to produce it. Its corrosion resistance and impermeability provide the protection
and safety required for packaging foods and pharmaceuticals. And its complete recyclability makes it re-usable in
the economic cycle. Long in use in the form of foil for flexible packaging, aluminium today has become a
commoner sight in rigid and semi-rigid packaging, especially in beverage containers (over 25 billion aluminium
cans have been used in greater Europe) but also in preserves, aerosols, bottle caps and lids, etc.

Mechanical industry and engineering - The many features of aluminium and its alloys also account for its
growing use in mechanical applications. Makers of machines with moving parts, such as robots, are using an
increasing number of aluminium parts to reduce inertia. In terms of heat exchange (liquid-to-liquid or liquid-to-
gas), aluminium's thermal conductivity is critical in electronics, seawater desalination, HVAC exchangers and the
plastics industry, where using aluminium alloy molds with pronounced mechanical properties (Alumold) can
shorten fabrication cycles by up to 30%.

Energy distribution - Aluminium's low density combined with its excellent electrical conductivity make it a
crucial material in the distribution of electricity. Universally, and now practically exclusively, used for high-tension
wires, aluminium can also be found in conductors (twice as light as copper), telephone cable shields and
protectors against electrical and magentic fields.

Sports and leisure - Light and versatile, aluminium is now featured in numerous objects in our daily
environment, from mass-marketed electronics (household appliances, refrigerators, radiators, CD coatings, etc.)
to sports equipment (hang gliders, ski poles, golf clubs, off-road bikes, scooters) and leisure products (trailers,
camping, diving and mountaineering equipment).
 http://ingemecanica.com/tutorialsemanal/tutorialn110.html

Melting point: 660 C (for AL 99,99 acc. to composition / alloying higher resp. lower)
Boiling point: 2500 C (acc. to composition / alloying higher resp. lower)
Density: 2,70 g/cm
Relative atomic mass 26,98
Oxidation number: 3
Atomic radius: 143,1 pm
Ionic radius: 57 pm (+3)
Electrical conductivity: 36 m/Ohmmm

Properties of aluminium
After iron, aluminium is now the second most widely used metal in the
world. The properties of aluminium include: low density and therefore
low weight, high strength, superior malleability, easy machining,
excellent corrosion resistance and good thermal and electrical
conductivity are amongst aluminiums most important properties.
Aluminium is also very easy to recycle.

Properties of aluminium
Weight
One of the best known properties of aluminium is that it is light, with
a density one third that of steel, 2,700 kg/m3. The low density of
aluminium accounts for it being lightweight but this does not affect its
strength.

Strength

Aluminium alloys commonly have tensile strengths of between 70 and

700 MPa. The range for alloys used in extrusion is 150 300 MPa.
Unlike most steel grades, aluminium does not become brittle at low
temperatures. Instead, its strength increases. At high temperatures,
aluminiums strength decreases. At temperatures continuously above
100C, strength is affected to the extent that the weakening must be
taken into account.

Linear expansion

Compared with other metals, aluminium has a relatively large

coefficient of linear expansion. This has to be taken into account in
some designs.

Machining

Aluminium is easily worked using most machining methods milling,

drilling, cutting, punching, bending, etc. Furthermore, the energy
input during machining is low.

Formability

Aluminiums superior malleability is essential for extrusion. With the

metal either hot or cold, this property is also exploited in the rolling of
strips and foils, as well as in bending and other forming operations.

Conductivity

Aluminium is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. An

aluminium conductor weighs approximately half as much as a copper
conductor having the same conductivity.

Joining

Features facilitating easy jointing are often incorporated into profile

design. Fusion welding, Friction Stir Welding, bonding and taping are
also used for joining.

Reflectivity

Another of the properties of aluminium is that it is a good reflector of

both visible light and radiated heat.
Screening EMC

Tight aluminium boxes can effectively exclude or screen off

electromagnetic radiation. The better the conductivity of a material,
the better the shielding qualities.

Corrosion resistance

Aluminium reacts with the oxygen in the air to form an extremely thin
layer of oxide. Though it is only some hundredths of a (my)m thick (1
(my)m is one thousandth of a millimetre), this layer is dense and
provides excellent corrosion protection. The layer is self-repairing if
damaged.

Anodising increases the thickness of the oxide layer and thus

improves the strength of the natural corrosion protection. Where
aluminium is used outdoors, thicknesses of between 15 and 25 m
(depending on wear and risk of corrosion) are common.

Aluminium is extremely durable in neutral and slightly acid

environments.
In environments characterised by high acidity or high basicity,
corrosion is rapid.

Further details are given in Corrosion Resistance.

Non-magnetic material

Aluminium is a non-magnetic (actually paramagnetic) material. To

avoid interference of magnetic fields aluminium is often used in
magnet X-ray devices.

Zero toxicity

After oxygen and silicon, aluminium is the most common element in

the Earths crust. Aluminium compounds also occur naturally in our
food.