What is Aluminium

Aluminium is a silvery-white metal that is quite light in comparison to other metals. Its soft and malleable quality makes it number one in a variety of industries including the creation of kitchen products. Surprisingly we’ve only had aluminium in our lives since 1825 when it was discovered by Hans Oersted.

Fact – The origin of its name is derived from the Latin ‘alumen’ which means bitter salt. Alum was used in ancient times as a flame retardant. This made it especially important for protecting wooded fortresses against flamed attacks.

Qualities of Aluminium

Its lightweight nature is extremely important but it is also low-density non-toxic has high thermal conductivity and fantastic corrosion resistance. It’s non-magnetic non-sparking the secondmost malleable metal and the sixth most ductile.

It’s one fault is its lack of strength but this can be remedied by using it as an alloy combined with other metals to make up for individual faults. Aluminium also costs a huge amount of energy to make; 5% of America’s electricity is used purely for aluminium production. However because aluminium is anti-corrosive it can be easily recycled meaning that the energy is well spent in its production.

Fact – If you dig down to the Earth’s crust you’ll find that 8.1% of it is made up of aluminium.

Uses of Aluminium

At Hart Wholesale we sell aluminium profiles and extrusions which are used in building frameworks and mechanical applications. These are extremely versatile - you might have some in your wardrobe without realising it. Aluminium has many other popular uses which we will discuss here:

Kitchen Foil

Kitchen foil is extremely versatile; it can help to heat your food up or keep it fresh in the fridge without the same fidgety hassle of cling film. Aluminium foil is made by heating up great slabs of aluminium and then applying pressure through a big rolling machine that thins the metal out.

It’s a bit like rolling out pastry on an industrial scale.

Window Frames

Without window frames we would have to choose between a severe lack of natural light or a hole in the wall that lets the cold in. Recently aluminium has spiked as a choice for window frame material; its aesthetic is sleek and modern where plastic often looks cheap and common. It’s also non-corrosive unlike wood so it will last longer with less maintenance.

Beer Kegs

Beer kegs have been around for ages but aluminium ones are especially handy. Because of aluminium’s lightweight and airtight qualities it’s the perfect material for containing the beverage of your choice without adding much extra weight.

Cans

It’s like a smaller version of the beer keg but what we didn’t mention was that aluminium is also great for printing onto. The metallic texture really makes branding shine and colours pop a quality that’s difficult to replicate in bio-degradable paper-packaged food.

Coca-cola and Pepsi both made the switch to aluminium in the same year – 1967.

Airplane Parts

Of all the aluminium produced in the world 27% is consumed by the transportation industry and a large amount of that is used in building aircraft. Aluminium succeeds because it is lightweight and easily available unlike titanium which would also make a good substitute for aircraft material but is far less cost-effective and eco-friendly.

Multi-Layer Insulation

As well as aircraft aluminium is a key factor in producing spacecraft such as rockets and satellites. Amongst other things aluminium is used in multi-layer thermal insulation which protects delicate instruments from extreme temperatures.

Construction

Aluminium wasn’t used in construction until 1931 where its impact on the Empire States Building was extensive. The Empire State Building employed aluminium both in basic structures and interior design. Ever since it has been a key player in building works.

How Much Aluminium Do We Need

We use aluminium for a lot of things so perhaps it’s no surprise that we consumed over 50000000 tonnes of the stuff in 2013 and that this number is set to increase. In 2023 it’s thought that we’ll be using as much as 80000000 tonnes as we phase out the use of heavy steels in the automotive industry.

If you need more aluminium in your life then perhaps you need aluminium profiles for building art projects or to replace a broken piece in your home or office. When you next hold a piece of aluminium remember that it’s humanity’s key to space travel.t we’ll be using as much as 80000000 tonnes as we phase out the use of heavy steels in the automotive industry.