Facts about aluminium
Aluminium - A sustainable material full of possibilities
Aluminium is an element and a metal with many uses. It is lightweight, strong, easy to work with and recyclable, making it a practical and environmentally friendly material choice. Here we share more information about this versatile material.
Material properties
| Property | Value / Description |
|---|---|
| Low weight | 2.7 kg/dm³ |
| High strength | 70-700 MPa (normally: 200-300 MPa) |
| Easy to mould | Machining, rolling, pressing, drawing, forging and casting |
| Easy to join | Welding, brazing, riveting |
| Long life span | Corrosion resistant |
| Electrically conductive | Twice the size of copper/unit weight |
| Thermally conductive | Heating/cooling |
| Environmentally friendly | Environmentally friendly (third largest element in the Earth's crust) |
| Recycling and recovery | Energy consumption only 5 % compared to primary aluminium production |
Preparation
Aluminium is produced from the raw material bauxite. Bauxite is crushed and ground into a powder from which aluminium oxide is extracted using lye and lime. Primary aluminium can then be produced by smelting electrolysis and solidified into ingots or ingots.
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Aluminium alloys
In addition to aluminium itself, an aluminium alloy contains several other elements. Adding other elements to aluminium gives the final material specific properties suitable for particular requirements and applications.
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