Aluminum

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Aluminum has a low density that makes it a good option for long-distance power lines. This is more ductile compared to copper, which enables it to be merged easily with wires.

Electrical

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The 3D Structure found in a PDF entry shows the three-dimensional representations of molecular structures. Click the play button to see the structure in 360 degrees.

Aluminum 3D Structure

From flat-screen TVs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even some household items, aluminum makes it look modern yet sophisticated with its finish.

Consumer Goods

With lighter weight, it is easier for the vehicle to maneuver and drive, leading to better fuel efficiency.

Transportation

Al • PDF Entry 00-004-0787

Aluminum

Because aluminum is both strong and lightweight it is ideal for architectural applications. The high strength-to-weight ratio means that it can be fixed to buildings using less fixings than steel for example.

Architecture

The average person might be surprised to learn how much aluminum is in their car and truck. Compared to steel, aluminum offers up to a 50 percent weight reduction without sacrificing significant strength. Aluminum also has impact resistance, able to absorb twice as much kinetic energy in a crash. The ability to maintain the same (or even greater) level of safety while reducing the weight by half is what makes aluminum a primary material for most automobile companies. A lighter car is a more fuel efficient car; this allows many of the key systems in a vehicle, including the engine, transmission, suspension, etc. to be reduced in weight. Today, everything from engine blocks to wheels are likely made from aluminum. In the same way that aluminum is ideal for cars and trucks because of its superior combination of strength and light weight, it’s also an essential material for the manufacture of airplanes as well.

Aluminum in consumer goods

• Kitchen utensils
• Beverage cans
• Foil
• Electronic devices
• Packaging
• Home appliance trim
• Refrigerator condensers
• Ladders
• Fitness equipment
• Pleasure boats (structure, trim, accessories)
• Sporting goods (lacrosse sticks, soccer goals)
• Golf cars and carts
• Office furniture and partition systems

Aluminum alloys are highly valued for being lightweight, easy to work with, and environmentally friendly. Its primary benefit is that aluminum has an extremely high weight to strength ratio that makes it invaluable for architectural purposes. For example, it’s aluminum that makes possible the large glass spans that are a common feature of skyscrapers. It’s also fire resistant and offers a number of other properties that make it safer than other building materials. Aluminum is also prized for its sleek appearance. Advancements are taking place all the time that allow aluminum to take on various metallic glosses and colors. It also has tremendous formability, meaning that designers can shape aluminum in whatever way necessary to meet their aesthetic and structural needs. Another characteristic of aluminum that makes it indispensible in modern architecture is its durability. Aluminum naturally has superb anti-corrosion properties that are only accentuated during the anodizing process. It’s extremely weather resistant and can handle harsh climates that might adversely affect other materials. It makes it easier to maintain buildings, which will age much better.

60 Years of the Aluminum Can

PDF Entry: 00-004-0787

Aluminum building wiring is a type of electrical wiring for residential construction or houses that uses aluminum electrical conductors. Aluminum provides a better conductivity-to-weight ratio than copper, and therefore is also used for wiring power grids, including overhead power transmission lines and local power distribution lines, as well as for power wiring of some airplanes. Utility companies have used aluminum wire for electrical transmission in power grids since around the late 1800s to the early 1900s. It has cost and weight advantages over copper wires. Aluminum in power transmission and distribution applications is still the preferred wire material today. In North American residential construction, aluminum wire was used for wiring entire houses for a short time from the 1960s to the mid-1970s during a period of high copper prices. Electrical devices (outlets, switches, lighting, fans, etc.) at the time were not designed with the particular properties of the aluminum wire being used in mind, and there were some issues related to the properties of the wire itself, making the installations with aluminum wire much more susceptible to problems. Revised manufacturing standards for both the wire and the devices were developed to reduce the problems. Existing homes with this older aluminum wiring used in branch circuits present a potential fire hazard.

Aluminum building wiring