Aluminium
is the earth’s most abundant metallic element,
making up around eight per cent of the earth’s
crust. Only silicone and oxygen occur in greater quantities.
It occurs in various
forms in most rocks and soils and is also present in
gemstones such as topaz and garnet. It can be found
in vegetation and in all of the earth's water. Aluminium
is also present in clays, granite, shale and slate.
Aluminium does not naturally
occur in its metallic form. Metallic aluminium is manufactured
by using a chemical process to extract alumina from
bauxite, and an electrolytic reduction process to convert
the alumina into aluminium, known as the ‘Hall-Heroult
process’. Aluminium has the chemical symbol ‘Al’.
Today, aluminium is the
most widely used non-ferrous metal in the world. It
is used for the transport, construction, packaging and
electrical industries because of its light weight, strength,
durability and non-corrosive qualities. Aluminium is
also easily and economically recyclable and can be re-melted
and cast into new products.
When compared with most
other metals, less energy is required to manufacture
products from aluminium and to transport them, resulting
in significant energy cost savings for industry. |
What is Aluminium?
