Background

Physically, chemically and mechanically aluminum is a metal like steel, brass, copper, zinc, lead or
titanium. It can be melted, cast, formed and machined much like these metals and it conducts electric
current. In fact often the same equipment and fabrication methods are used as for steel.

Light Weight
Aluminum is a very light metal with a specific weight of 2.7 g/cm 3, about a third that of steel. For
example, the use of aluminum in vehicles reduces dead-weight and energy consumption while
increasing load capacity. Its strength can be adapted to the application required by modifying the
composition of its alloys.

Corrosion Resistance
Aluminum naturally generates a protective oxide coating and is highly corrosion resistant. Different
types of surface treatment such as anodizing, painting or lacquering can further improve this property.
It is particularly useful for applications where protection and conservation are required.

Electrical and Thermal Conductivity

Aluminum is an excellent heat and electricity conductor and in relation to its weight is almost twice as
good a conductor as copper. This has made aluminum the most commonly used material in major
power transmission lines.

Reflectivity
Aluminum is a good reflector of visible light as well as heat, and that together with its low weight,
makes it an ideal material for reflectors in, for example, light fittings or rescue blankets.

Ductility
Aluminum is ductile and has a low melting point and density. In a molten condition it can be processed
in a number of ways. Its ductility allows products of aluminum to be basically formed close to the end
of the product’s design.

Impermeable and Odourless

Aluminum foil, even when it is rolled to only 0.007 mm thickness, is still completely impermeable and
lets neither light aroma nor taste substances out. Moreover, the metal itself is non-toxic and releases no
aroma or taste substances which make it ideal for packaging sensitive products such as food or
pharmaceuticals.

Recyclability
Aluminum is 100 percent recyclable with no downgrading of its qualities. The re-melting of aluminum
requires little energy: only about 5 percent of the energy required to produce the primary metal initially
is needed in the recycling process.
 
Aluminum falls into group three on the periodic table, with 13 protons and 14 neutrons,
giving it a mass of 27. Throughout this website the different properties of the element
aluminum are examined, and explained, this section is simply a complete list of the
different characteristics of aluminum, with links to other sections of the website where
they are discussed in further depth.

Youngs Modulus: 70 GPa (in alloys)

This is a measure of elasticity, or how easily something with stretch. It is found by
dividing stress by strain. Where stress is the load applied to the material divided by the
cross sectional area of the material, and where strain in the increase in length over the
original length (so percentage increase of length). As stress is measured in Pascal’s (or
force per unit area) and strain is imply a ratio without units the Young’s modulus is also
measured in Pa. Aluminum’s Young’s modulus is quite low, and elements like Iron for
example have much higher values such as 211 GPa. Aluminum’s alloys in general have
higher modulus's of elasticity due to pinned dislocations in their structure.

Aluminium wires
Ductility & Malleability: High
These are also a property relating to how easily deformation occurs. Aluminium is both
very malleable, and very ductile. In fact aluminium is the 2nd most malleable metal, and
the 6th most ductile, both of these are very important for its uses. Malleability is the
property of a metal to be deformed by compression without cracking or rupturing, and
ductility is the ability to deform plastically without fracture under tensile force. In a
practical sense if a material is malleable it means that it is possible to roll it into sheets,
and if it is ductile it can be drawn into wires. Aluminium can do both like most metals
can. The structure of metals as positive ions in a "sea" of negative electrons means that
the positions of the ions are not as fixed as one may first imagine, and as the ions are just
held in place by attraction they can slide past each other giving metals malleability and
ductility.

Hardness: 420 MPa

Hardness is the ability to not be easily scratched, in is measured in Pascals or force per
unit area. Aluminium's hardness is relatively low due to its low density (see below). This
means that it is easier to scratch than other metals like steel are.
 Aluminium
Density: Low 2700 kg / cubic metre
This gives aluminium its unique lightweight property and extends the usesof aluminium
vastly. Really this is the key property that sets aluminium apart from so many other
metallic elements. Transport vessels made of aluminium can carry more cargo with the
same amount of fuel than vessels made of other materials as the aluminium itself it so
much lighter. Why does it have such a low density? Because of the number of protons
and neutrons (which make up almost all of an atoms weight) in the nucleus. Aluminium
has a mass of just 27, which is very low compared to most other metals.

Melting Point: 660.32 °C Boiling Point: 2519 °C 

These relatively low thermal points help aluminium to be reshaped, and welding quite
easily. For a metal a melting point of 660.32 °C is very low.

Aluminium in pylons
Electrical Resistivity: Low 2.65 x 10-8 Ohm metres
Aluminium has a very low electrical resistivity, and therefore a high electrical
conductivity. This is measured in Ohms meters, as resistivity is equal to the resistance of
a certain sized piece of the material multiplied by the area and divided by the length. This
gives a standard measure for a material that can be used easily in comparison. In relation
to other metals aluminium has quite a low resistivity, it is not the best conductor, but it is
by no means the worst. Aluminium is also a very good thermal conductor as is discussed
in conductivity.
Reflectivity: High 71% unpolished and when polished: 97%
Aluminium is extremely reflective, when polished (some sources say) it is the most
reflective material, for this reason it is now frequently used in lights. It is also very heat
reflective and because of this people use it in their car windscreens to reflect the heat, and
to keep the car cool on sunny days.

Summary: Aluminium has a unique set of properties that make it so essential to the
modern world. It is ductile, strong (in alloys), lightweight, highly conductive, and
extremely reflective.
Using all of the information that I have collected and presented throughout this project I
will answer some key questions about aluminium. Over the course of my investigation
into Aluminium I have used these questions to channel my lines of enquiry to provide the
most thorough answers possible, and to give my research a focus.

How does aluminium avoid corrosion? 

Aluminium forms a 1 nm (or sometimes slightly thicker) layer of aluminium oxide on its
surface when it is exposed to air. Even though aluminium is reactive this oxide layer
prevents the actual aluminium making contact with other elements which it could react
with. In this way aluminium avoids reaction and corrosion. This is a particularly
important feature for aluminium is its outdoor uses where being resistant to weathering is
essential. If the layer breaks it immediately reforms when the aluminium is next in
contact with oxygen.

Why is aluminium used so much in transport? 

Aluminium is a low density material which gives it its lightweight property. When mixed
with other elements in alloys it is also very strong. This unique combination of strength
and weight is essential for the transport industry. As Force = Mass x Acceleration, the
bigger the mass the more force will be needed to achieve a certain acceleration. This
means that using aluminium is transport vessels saves money on fuel, allows more cargo
to be carried, and is better for the environment. Aluminium's corrosion resistance perfect
this profile making it absolutely ideal for its uses in aeroplanes, trains, cars, and ships.

Why is aluminium so reflective? 

Aluminium can reflect up to 97% of light that falls upon it when highly polished, but how
does it do this? Reflections occur when light hitting a material provides enough energy
for an electron to move to an excited state, from where it emits a photon of light upon
returning to its ground state. In aluminium there are many electrons that are free to easily
become "excited" like this, this makes it an extremely good reflector.

Why is aluminium not magnetic? 

In all materials electrons orbit atoms, and as each of the electrons has an electric charge
each of these electrons produces a tiny magnetic field. In most materials electrons pair up
in energy sublevels with opposite "spin" properties, so the effect of their tiny magnetic
field is cancelled out by each other. However in some materials the electrons frequently
don't have to pair up so an overall magnetic field can be created if a magnet forces the
electrons to align in the same direction which it does in metals like iron. In iron and steel
some electrons stay aligned, and this is why large magnets are often made out of these
materials. In aluminium the electrons don't give an overall magnetic field in one
direction, so it isn't magnetic.

Aluminum (Al) is the most abundant metal on this planet which is silvery-whitish in appearance. There are several
aluminum properties that makes aluminum, one of the most heavily used element. Aluminum properties can be
divided into two broad categories; physical aluminum properties and chemical aluminum properties. Let us put light
on these aluminum properties one by one:-

1.Physical Aluminum Properties:- The physical aluminum properties consists of details about its weight, color,
density, electrical and heat conductivity, strength, atomic weight, atomic number, melting and boiling point etc. A
brief description of all these physical properties of aluminum can be given as:

● Atomic Weigh and Atomic Number: - The atomic weight of aluminum is 26.98 and its atomic number is 13. 

● Melting and Boiling Point: - Aluminum melts when it is heated up to the temperature of 660.2°C and it will start
boiling if the temperature is raised up to 2,467°C. 

● Strength and Weight: - Aluminum, in its purest form is a soft metal and very light in weight. 

● Heat and Electrical conductivity: - Aluminum is counted among the very good conductors of heat and electricity.

2.Chemical Aluminum Properties: - Chemical aluminum properties mainly concern with chemical characteristics
of aluminum such as it's reactivity, behavior towards acids, effect of temperature and pressure on reactivity etc.
Certain facts about chemical aluminum properties can be listed as follows:-

● Aluminum can form various salts which are soluble by reacting with certain mineral acids. Hydrogen gas is
generated in this process. 

● The compounds which contain oxygen, get reduced when reacted with aluminum in the presence of high
temperature. 

● Aluminum in the molten state reacts vigorously when brought in contact with water.

● Aluminum forms a thin layer of oxide on its surface which protects it from being affected by open air, water,
certain chemicals and solutions. 

There are numerous other aluminum properties which are of particular use in a number of chemical and industrial
applications. Aluminum is mainly obtained from its oxide ores and can be very economically recycled. These unique
aluminum properties make aluminum one of the most important metal for industrial advancement.
Properties of aluminium
After iron, aluminium is now the second most widely used metal in the world. This is because aluminium has a unique
combination of attractive properties. Low weight, high strength, superior malleability, easy machining, excellent corrosion
resistance and good thermal and electrical conductivity are amongst aluminium’s most important properties. Aluminium is
also very easy to recycle.

Weight
Aluminium is light with a density one third that of steel, 2.700 kg/m3.

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, aluminium’s strength decreases. At temperatures continuously above 100°C, 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
Aluminium’s 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
Aluminium 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 ¥ìm (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 Earth's crust. Aluminium compounds also occur
naturally in our food.