September 2022

 Manufacturing
 Its impact on environment
 Properties
 Alloys of Al
 Types of Al sections & sheets
 Types of coatings on Al
 Application in buildings
 Bauxite
Metal
Silver color items
Frames
Foil Bendable

Corrosion resistant Light weight

 Metals are materials which are present in nature, in the
earth crust and in the rocks.
 They exist in nature as compounds like oxides, carbonates,
sulphides and phosphates and are known as ores.
 An ore is a solid naturally occurring mineral aggregate
from which one or two valuable constituents may be
recovered by certain treatment.
 Metals are derived from ores by removing the impurities.
 Non-ferrous metal
 Available in the form of oxides, sulphates, silicates,
phosphates, etc.
 Ores of Al – bauxite, corundum, kaolin or china clay, and
kryolite.
 Mainly extracted from bauxite ore –hydrated oxide of
aluminium (Al2o3, 2H2O) and iron with some silica.
 Bauxite

Primary source of Al

A rock formed from a reddish clay

material called laterite soil and is most
commonly found in tropical or
subtropical regions.

Bauxite is primarily comprised of

aluminium oxide compounds (alumina),
silica, iron oxides and titanium dioxide
 Al extracted from bauxite ores in two stage process.
 Two stage process – includes Bayer’s process & Hall-
Heroult Process or Hoope’s process or Electrolysis.

Hall-Heroult
Bayer Process-
Process - Smelting
Refining of bauxite
of aluminium oxide
ore to obtain
to release pure
aluminium oxide
aluminium.
Bauxite is treated with sodium hydrate or concentrated
sodium hydroxide and converted into alumina by roasting,
grinding, heating and filtering.
In the process, the filtrate or pure Al2O3 or alumina is mixed
with CaF2 or Na3AlF6. This lowers the melting point of the
mixture and increases its ability to conduct electricity.

Watch video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P90li2PHfA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVjeWQqruVM
For electrolysis, a steel
vessel with the lining of
carbon & graphite rods
is used. The carbon
lining acts as cathode
and graphite act as an
anode.
When electricity is
passed through the
electrolytic cell in the
molten bath of the
above mixture, the
resulting reaction breaks
the bonds between the
aluminium & oxygen
atoms in the alumina
molecules.
 The oxygen from the aluminium oxide moves towards
anode, reacting with the carbon of the anode to form
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
 The freed aluminium atoms settle to the bottom of the
vessel as molten metal.
 The smelting process is a continuous one, with more
alumina being added to the cryolite solution to replace the
decomposed compound.
 The accumulated pure molten aluminum at the bottom is
siphoned off.
1. Silvery-white metal with bluish
tinge
2. Exhibits bright lustre on a freshly
broken surface
3. Good conductor of heat &
electricity
4. Air tight material
5. Cryogenic - withstand sub-zero
temperatures
6. Readily dissolves in hydrochloric
acid
7. Very soft, strong & durable
8. Light in weight, highly reflective
Sugar City Silos
Halfweg, Netherlands
9. Resistant to corrosion
10. Non-magnetic in nature
11. High strength to weight ratio
12. Great toughness & tensile strength
13. Malleable & ductile i.e. created,
machined, & cast readily
14. High scrap value & recyclable
15. Good reflector of electromagnetic
& sound waves
16. Less maintenance cost
17. MP – 660° C & BP – 2056°C
18. Initially expensive but economical
in the long run
19. Aluminium is harder than tin.
20. Aluminium can be riveted and
welded, but cannot be soldered.
21. The tensile strength is 117.2 N/mm2
in the cast form and 241.3 N/mm2
when drawn into wires.
 Pure aluminium is very soft and is
unsuitable for structural purposes.
 For improved mechanical properties
Al is alloyed with copper, manganese,
magnesium zinc, silicon, nickel.
 Some aluminium alloys also contain
one or more of the metals
manganese, lead, nickel, chromium,
titanium, beryllium.
 Majorly Al alloys are made for making
light, stiff, corrosion-resistant alloys
with these metals.
 Binary alloys containing – Cu
or Si or Mg

Cast alloys

Shaped by casting

Al alloys
contain copper, magnesium,
silicon and manganese

Wrought alloys
Formed by precipitation
hardening method to make
the alloy tougher/harder.
# Alloy Constitutes Properties Application
1 Duralumin Al, Cu, Mg, Mn highly resistant to Wire and sheets are drawn.
Fe 7 silica as corrosion Fabricated into different
impurities structural shapes to be used
for construction.
2 Magnalium Al & Mg Little lighter than Widely used as deoxidizers
pure aluminium. in copper smelting
Easy to work, operations
exceptionally
strong, and ductile
3 Aldural When a coating of Better corrosion Marine construction
aluminium is given resisting
to duralumin it is properties
known as aldural.
# Alloy Constitutes Properties Application
4 Y-alloy Al, Cu, Ni & Resists corrosion better Used for making pistons of
Mg than duralumin. I.C. engines, cylinder head,
Has good thermal connecting rod and
conductivity and can propeller blades
sustain high
temperature.
5 Aluminium Al & Bronze •Highly ductile but as the %age of Al increases, ductility
bronze decreases.
•Highly resistant to torsional stress, readily rolled,
forged, cold drawn, exhibit toughness under impact and
resistance to alternate bending stress.
•Almost in corrodible in sea water and in this respect are
superior to Muntz metal or naval brass.
•Used for pump lines, tubes, springs, screws, rivets,
ornamental works, marine engineering castings, motor
boat shafting, musical instruments, and as a substitute
of M.S.to resist corrosion, grill works, etc.
# Alloy Constitutes Properties Application
6 Light alloys contains 3 % Cu %& used for castings such as
12% Zn crank and gear housings.
7 Al-Cu alloys contains copper up •Less liable to burning.
to 4 % •Produces light castings that are stronger and
tougher than that made from aluminium
•Used in automobile industry for casting.
8 Al -Zn alloys •contains Zn up to 15 % and is used for light casting which can be easily
machined or forged into desired form.
•These are very sensitive to high temperatures in melting and in solid
form exhibit low strength and brittleness when heated above 50° C.
Alloys containing 15- 25 % Zn are harder, stronger, but less ductile and
more difficult to roll or draw. If percentage of zinc is increased above 25
the alloy suffers decrease in strength when excessively worked, either
hot or cold.
•Aluminium zinc alloys have well defined yield points.
# Alloy Constitutes Properties Application
9 Al-Si alloys •Containing 5 – 15% silicon
•Important alloys because their excellent casting qualities, including
excellent fluidity and freedom from hot-shortness, permit the pouring
of thin intricate sections.
•They also have high resistance to corrosion, are good conductors of
heat, and have low thermal expansion.
 Aluminium (Al) - Forms
Foil & powder
Casting based Extrusion based Sheet based
based

Door & window

frames
Hardware fittings Cable trays
Fascia panels & Flat type false ceiling
curtain walls Decorative laminates Prefabricated
Baluster-head
Geodesic domes & Insulate foils houses
Hardware & fittings
space grids Paints Rainwater articles –
Security & gutters etc.
Partitions & space Water-proofing
decorative grills
dividers sheets Ridging & angles of
North light glazing roof – flashing, etc.
frames Roofing & siding
Green houses & roof
top gardens
 Casting is the original and most  E.g. - Hardware & Fitting,
widely used method of Baluster Heads, Grills,
forming aluminium into Engines and Parts, Utensils
products. etc.
 Technical advances have been
made, but the principle remains
the same: Molten aluminium is
poured into a mould to
duplicate a desired pattern.
 The three most important
methods are die-casting,
permanent mould casting and
sand casting.
 Extrusion is a technique where
heated materials such
as aluminium are forced through an
opening to form a shaped profile.
 Once the aluminium has been
pushed through the container by the
ram within the press, it will form
the extruded profile which will be the
same shape as the opening in the
die.
 E.g. - Door Frames, Window Frames,
Facades , Channels, Tubes etc.
 Aluminium sheet is
any aluminium sheet thicker than
foil but thinner than 6mm, it
comes in many forms including
diamond plate, expanded,
perforated and
painted aluminium sheet.
 Aluminium plate is
any aluminium sheet that is
thicker than 6mm.
 E.g. - Chequered Plates,
Corrugated Sheets, Shuttering
etc.
 Foil made from aluminium is
thin, light, easy-to-use and
highly hygienic. It is widely
found in everything from
packaging for
pharmaceuticals, foodstuff
and other commodities, to
electrolytic capacitors, lithium
ion batteries and construction
materials.
 Powder form aluminium is  E.g. – Crackers, Welding
used for several applications essentials, AAC Block, Paints
such as manufacture of slurry, etc
explosive and detonators,
hermit process used for
manufacture of Ferro alloys
and for specialized welding
applications such as rails,
pyrotechnic to manufacture
crackers, sparkles and other
pyrotechnic products.
 Al doors and window frames are
made from extruded aluminium
sections.
 The channels and box sections have
flanges and grooves for double
glazing and weather-stripping.
 The glazed doors are commonly
advertised as ‘patio doors’. Al is a
conductive material heat
transmission can be reduced by
separating the Al profile in 2 parts
using an insulating material to
reduce the thermal transmission.
Applications
• Al alloys
• Casting steel
• Making electrical conductors
• Manufacture paints in powder form
• Automobile bodies, engine parts & surgical instruments
• Cooking utensils, foil, packaging of medicines, chocolates
etc.
• Bathroom fittings, Electric wires etc.
• Door Window frames, partitions, glazing bars, corrugated
& plain sheets for roofing, bathroom doors etc.
• Railings
• Structural members - rolled sections, such as angles,
channels, I-sections, round and rectangular pipes, rivets
and bolts, foils, posts, panels etc.
 Aluminium does not burn and
therefore classed as a non-
combustible construction material.
 But Aluminium alloys will melt at
around 650°C, but without releasing
harmful gases. Industrial roofs and
external walls are increasingly made
of thin aluminium cladding panels,
intended to melt during a major fire,
allowing heat and smoke to escape
and thereby minimizing damage.
 Air tightness – Appearance – smooth &
Noise control airtight & sealed for bright finish with desired
dust & rain water color options
Maintenance cost

Cryogenics
High strength to
weight ratio
Building material Ease in
fabrication &
assembly
High scrap value
& recyclable
Handling & transport
cost is very low due to
High corrosive resistance – a light in weight
High reflective – natural layer of Al2O3 is
does not absorbs present on Al and anodizing
radiant heat further increases its thickness.
 Anoidizing
 Process that thickens the natural layer of aluminium oxide that forms when
the metal is exposed to air and increases its durability.
 Dyes can be added in the process to produce colours. Ultra violet degrades
most of the colours over time, but red, black, blue and gold have the greater
staying power.
 Anodising is the most durable of finishes and so is popular in high traffic
areas where the aluminum is subject to wearing and abrasion; It’s also
generally less expensive than other coatings.
 Anodising doesn't emit VOCs
 Organic coatings : Paints & powder –
 Liquid paint is composed of pigment, resin, and solvent. Powder paint is
simply pigment encapsulated in a powdered resin and is thus "Paint without
the solvent." Powder coatings and liquid coatings made from the same resin
and pigment will have practically the same performance characteristics.
 Examples - Epoxy, predominantly a powder coating, meant only for interior.
 PVDF, manufactured as a liquid coating, have outstanding weather ability.
 The performance of any organic coating (paints or powders) depends on the
pretreatment, resin and pigmentation. With aluminium the pretreatment is
of utmost importance. This is why organic coatings for aluminium should be
factory applied.
 There are many resins available for use such as urethanes, polyurethanes,
aliphatic urethanes, polyesters, silicon polyesters, polyester TGICs, PVDF,
etc. Only a few of these coating systems will last for more than five years in
exterior architectural applications.
 Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF / PVF2)
 PVDF is a plastic material having a high level of resistance against
atmospheric pollutants along with good gloss and colour retention.
 In its fine powder form it is the principal ingredient in paints for metals. PVDF
is relatively chemically inert and will outlast anodizing in corrosive
environments.
 PVDF coatings are usually formulated as 70% PVDF and 30% other resins,
acrylic usually predominating.
 Powder coating
 The real advantage of powder is the reduction in air pollution compared to
liquid coatings. When powders are cured in an oven they emit no VOCs.
 There are two main categories of powder coatings: thermosets and
thermoplastics.
 The most common polymers used are polyester, polyurethane, polyester-
epoxy (known as hybrid), straight epoxy (fusion bonded epoxy) and acrylics.
 Aluminium is an abundant
element within Earth’s surface
but the process involved in its
extraction is arduous, requiring
heavy machinery to plow up
acres and acres of land.
 Fortunately, the environmental impact of that process can be
somewhat balanced out by post-mining rehabilitation, efficient
recycling, and generally reducing our consumption.
 There are environmental impacts associated with each stage of
aluminum production, from extraction to processing. The major
environmental impact of refining and smelting is greenhouse gas
emissions.
Refining & Smelting Green House Gases Emission

 These gases result from both the electrical consumption of

smelters and the byproducts of processing. The GHGs resulting
from primary production include perfluorocarbons (PFC),
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), fluoride, sulfur dioxide
(SO2), and carbon dioxide (CO2).
 Of these gases,
 PFC’s resulting from the smelting process are the most potent.
Primary aluminum production is the leading source of PFC
emissions.
 PAH emissions result from the manufacture of anodes for
smelters and during the electrolytic process.
 Sulfur dioxide and sodium fluoride are emitted from smelters
and electrical plants. SO2 is one of the primary precursors of
acid rain. CO2 emissions occur during smelting and result from
the consumption of carbon anodes and from PFC emissions.
 The atmospheric pollutants from primary production also produce
acid rain when they mix with water vapor.
 Al poses no danger of environmental toxicity when soil pH
remains at or above 5.0, however acid rain lowers the pH of soil
and forces Al into solution. This causes it to leach into the water
supply where it can damage root systems and create acidified
lakes.
 Due to its natural abundance,
the amount of Al that enters
the environment due to
regular weather processes far
exceeds anthropogenic
contributions.
 A life cycle analysis of aluminum shows distinct advantages to
recycling the material. The primary benefit of recycling aluminum
is reduced energy consumption. Aluminum recovery from scrap
requires only 5 percent of the energy required to extract it.
Therefore, secondary aluminum production from recycling scrap
has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
 The most common source of aluminum scrap is aluminum cans,
but automobiles, building materials, and appliances are also viable
sources.
 Repeated recycling of aluminum does not affect its quality.
 Environmental Properties
• Plentiful resource • Very high energy used
• Use of hydro-electricity can
• Open-cast mining of bauxite can seriously
dramatically reduce fossil fuel
damage local eco systems and communities
energy
• High durability • Smelting uses large amounts of water
• Emissions to air and water from processing,
• Low maintenance
some of which are hazardous
• Bauxite residue storage and management which
• Recycling uses a fraction of the
demands land use and can sometimes fail (e.g.
energy used in primary production
Ajika alumina sludge spill, Hungary, 2010)
• Long transportation routes in between
• Very high levels of recovery in
extraction, processing and fabrication adds to
construction and recycling
embodied energy
• Environmental regulations governing production
can vary greatly throughout the world
With no. of good characteristics of the material and
its wide range of application, in many situations it
could be considered indispensible. But its soaring
embodied carbon along with a currently recycling
rate still make it a difficult material to use without
some degree of consideration.
 https://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-
design/aluminium-production-environmental-
impact/ last accessed on 28.09.2022
 Building Materials by S.K. Duggal