Aluminum: Properties, Uses and Why It’s So Widely Used

Aluminum is one of the most widely used metals in the world and has numerous uses, from aerospace to home appliances. Its unique properties make it the only choice for many applications. But exactly what is it that makes aluminum so indispensable?

Key Properties of Aluminum: Lightweight, Strong & Corrosion-Resistant

Everyone knows that aluminum is lightweight, but it’s the ratio of strength to weight that is the real stand-out property, especially in certain grades.

Typically, an aluminum structure will weigh half as much as a steel structure, even if both are capable of carrying the same load. This is the reason aluminum is used so extensively in aerospace, motorsport, and other industries where reducing weight is vital.

Another inherent advantage of aluminum is its corrosion resistance. Whereas a steel component will readily rust in a damp environment, causing issues with structural integrity and its appearance, aluminum is impervious to the same corrosion and can be exposed to the elements for long periods of time.

Everyday Uses of Aluminum: From Packaging to Aerospace

Thanks to its high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and wide range of section sizes and grades, aluminum is used in almost every industry.

• Automotive uses: aluminum is sometimes used for cylinder heads on engines, and is commonly used in parts such as alternator housings, inlet manifolds and other components
• Aerospace: The advent of aluminum changed the aerospace industry significantly, enabling aircraft to become both more efficient and larger. It is still used today in the most advanced aircraft, though often in conjunction with carbon fiber
• Power infrastructure: Much of the long distance power lines used around the world are made of aluminum. It is used over copper thanks to its lightweight yet still relatively high conductivity.
• Consumer products: Aluminum has been a premium material for items like cell phones, laptops and tablets for a while now. It can also be found in high end ovens, refrigerators and more.

Aluminum Recycling: Environmental Benefits & The Circular Economy

One of the benefits of using any metal is its sustainability; in some locations, up to 75% of metals are recycled after use, and this rises to over 90% in certain industries, such as steel building demolition.

Aluminium is particularly easy to recycle, as it requires less energy to melt, and therefore less energy to process into a new product. Aluminum drinks cans are a good example of the circular economy, with new cans generally consisting of around 70% recycled material.

Not only does this reduce the overall amount of raw materials used, but it also reduces the total energy needed to produce new products. In addition, recycled materials used in North America are almost exclusively recycled here too, reducing the reliance on international trade and stimulating domestic production.

The Aluminum Recycling Process: How It Works

Aluminum recycling is a huge industry, with 100’s of dedicated facilities and businesses across the country. Almost all aluminum recycling follows the following process.

Collection & Sorting

Recyclable aluminum comes from many sources, including manufacturing scrap (off-cuts, machining chips, etc), consumer waste (packaging, cans, etc), and end of life materials such as from demolished buildings, scrap cars, etc.

Because there are so many different types of aluminum, it needs to be sorted for further processing to increase usable output. This is done by processes such as density separators.

Pre-Treatment

Before it is melted, the aluminum needs to be of uniform size and cleaned of any paints or other adhered materials. The former is achieved by crushing, shredding and granulating to produce a powder.

Paints and plastics are removed by heating the material to a sufficient temperature that the contaminants burn off, leaving the aluminum behind.

Melting

In a similar way to the final stages of producing aluminum from raw materials, the processed scrap is melted and impurities are removed. This is done by various methods, the goal being to cause impurities to rise to the surface of the molten material and be removed mechanically.

After the aluminum is refined, alloying elements are added, based on complex testing to ensure the end product has the best chemical composition possible.

Casting

Once the waste aluminum has been processed and melted down, it can be cast into usable shapes. Many plants simply produce cast ingots, which are then further refined or used in aluminum foundries. The molten material can also be processed using direct-chill casting to create long ingots suitable for the production of tubes or other long sections.

Why Recycle Aluminum? Economic & Sustainability Advantages

Recycling is often considered a modern innovation, born in response to the impact of humans’ actions on the planet in the 19th century. But in reality, recycling of metal and glass has been a profitable business since the early 1900s.

This is because removing the raw materials to make aluminum from the ground is very expensive, requiring enormous amounts of land, equipment and labour. As mentioned earlier, most of the world’s aluminum ore sites are in tropical regions, meaning high transport costs and carbon emissions.

Recycling aluminum in North America not only reduces the cost of transporting the material, but both reduces reliance on global markets and their inherent volatility.

Source Aluminum for Your Next Project From Metals Supermarkets

If you are keen to make use of some of the great benefits of aluminum in your next home or work project, Metals Supermarket can offer great prices with cut-to-length services across the country. Choose from a wide range of grades and sections here.