Aluminum :: Research Essays

aluminum Aluminum is the second most abundant element in the Earths crust. It has a concentration of about 8.2 percent (Craig et al 264). Aluminum is malleable, ductile, and easily machined and cast and has excellent corrosion resistance and lastingness (http//minerals.usgs.gov/). It is evident in everyday life. Aluminum is a very useable abundant metal. A large fraction of the mineral products we seek atomic number 18 metals, such as aluminium (Halleck, 1/20). The major uses of aluminum atomic number 18 transportation, packaging and containers, and building products. Some other uses are electrical and consumer fixed goods (Craig et al 266). It is all-important(a) in the use of transportation because it is lightweight, which enables more than cost-efficient use of fuels, and it is resistant to corrosion (Craig et al 266).Commercially pure aluminum is comparatively soft and ductileit has tensile strength of 13,000 pounds per even up atomic number 49 when it is in its annealed condition (Hobbs 76). When the metal is strain hardened, its tensile strength is 24,000 pounds per square inch (Hobbs 76). The tensile strength can increase even more when other elements are added to the metal to form alloys. Some of these elements used for alloying are copper, iron, silicon, magnesium, nickel, and zinc (Hobbs 79).Aluminum is also common in minerals such as feldspar, mica, which are silicates, and clay. Most of aluminum production has been from bauxite. Bauxite can form from the weathering of each rock that is aluminum bearing (Craig et al 267).Most bauxite mining is through with(p) in tropical regions where there is not an abundant amount of brasslike electricity or large markets for the aluminum production (Craig et al 268). The bauxite is crushed, washed, dried, and and so shipped to processing sites. Aluminum is produced by the electrolytic reduction of alumina in a molten bath of natural or synthetic cryolite (Craig et al 268). This process is very energy intensive so it is through with(p) in areas where electricity is cheap.Aluminum recovery from scrap (recycling) has become an important component of the aluminum industry (http//minerals.usgs.gov/). About thirty percent of aluminum is recycled each year. Sixty percent of that is from new scrap and forty percent is from old scrap (http//minerals.usgs.gov/). Some examples of recyclable aluminum are automobiles, windows and doors, appliances, and cans. Aluminum is also used in many cooking utensils, electrical conductors, buildings, and in transportation industries.