Other Free Encyclopedias :: Science Encyclopedia :: Science & Philosophy - Aardvark to Atoms :: Aluminum - General Properties, Where Aluminum Comes From, How Aluminum Is Obtained, Uses, Chemistry And Compounds
 

Aluminum - Uses

In spite of the fact that aluminum is very active chemically, it does not corrode in moist air the way iron does. Instead, it quickly forms a thin, hard coating of aluminum oxide. Unlike iron oxide or rust, which flakes off, the aluminum oxide sticks tightly to the metal and protects it from further oxidation. The oxide coating is so thin that it is transparent, so the aluminum retains its silvery metallic appearance. Sea water, however, will corrode aluminum unless it has been given an unusually thick coating of oxide by the anodizing process.

When aluminum is heated to high temperatures in a vacuum, it evaporates and condenses onto any nearby cool surface such as glass or plastic. When evaporated onto glass, it makes a very good mirror, and aluminum has largely replaced silver for that purpose because it does not tarnish and turn black, as silver does when exposed to impure air. Many food-packaging materials and shiny plastic novelties are made of paper or plastic with an evaporated coating of bright aluminum. The "silver" helium balloons that we see at birthday parties are made of a tough plastic called Mylar, covered with a thin, evaporated coating of aluminum metal.

Aluminum conducts electricity about 60% as well as copper, which is still very good among metals. Because it is also light in weight and highly ductile (can be drawn out into thin wires), it is used instead of copper in almost all of the high-voltage electric transmission lines in the United States.

Aluminum is used to make kitchen pots and pans because of its high heat conductivity. It is handy as an air- and water-tight food wrapping because it is very malleable; it can be pressed between steel rollers to make foil (a thin sheet) less than a thousandth of an inch thick. Claims are occasionally made that aluminum is toxic and that aluminum cookware is therefore dangerous, but no clear evidence for this belief has ever been found. Many widely used antacids in the drug store contain thousands of times more aluminum (in the form of aluminum hydroxide) than a person could ever get from eating food cooked in an aluminum pot. Aluminum is the only light element that has no known physiological function in the human body.

Aluminum - Chemistry And Compounds [next] [back] Aluminum - How Aluminum Is Obtained

User Comments Add a comment…

6 months ago

syed taqi abbas

aluminium powder is use in chrome paint manufacturing but how can we get the bright mirror effect from aluminium powder

about 1 year ago

Joel John

This helped allot on my science project. Thanks



-Joel H Dunlap, IA

about 1 year ago

Katherine

Thank you very much!
It helps with my aluminum project alot.
:]

about 1 year ago

applesnacks

Yo im doing a project and this really help of my interesting fact section So Thanks i guess!! XDXD XD :)

about 1 year ago

mz.good

im doing the element Aluminum in my physical science class and this helped alott..thanks!

about 1 year ago

Gwen

Thanks that really DIDNT HELP AT ALL!!! TRY TALKING ABOUT CHEMICAL FORMULA'S, MINERAL GROUPS, THE HARDNESS, COLOR, STREAK, LUSTER, CLEAVAGE, AND FRACTURE, ALONG WITH THE USES(YOUR WERE LOUSY AND I FAILED MY PROJECT THANKS TO YOU!!!)

about 1 year ago

jetex the asian

thanks so much for this info it helped me understand more uses of aluminum. I hope i get an A

over 1 year ago

asian pride

thanks sooooo much!!! i got an F on my science project!!!! lol jk i got an A and thanks again!!!

over 1 year ago

kyle

thanks for help on my project

over 1 year ago

holla

this website really helped me with my science project!!

over 1 year ago

saugat

Thanks.

over 1 year ago

frog

I think that all elements are great it just depends on he uses!!!!!

over 1 year ago

mim

this site sure helped me with my homework!

over 1 year ago

cici

wow if it wasnt for this website my chemistry project would have been a failure but it wasnt thankzz



~~cici~~

over 1 year ago

dominic

this really helped me for my elements project

over 1 year ago

ray

thank you sooo much :)

over 1 year ago

paige

omg thank you so much!!!! i'm writing a research paper on aluminum and this has helped me so much.


thanks again :)

over 1 year ago

nannnu

this helped me a lot in doing my chemistry project.. thanks

over 1 year ago

unknown

found this really useful for my chem project........... thanks

over 1 year ago

bfn

thanks alot. it ddnt give meh all the things i wantd bt the information added to more ideas thanks you..



over 1 year ago

Random

this website didnt give me the exact infomation i needed but it gave me extra infomation that made the teacher give me extra marks.... THANKS

over 1 year ago

Tay

Thank you this helped me with my science project ^_^

over 1 year ago

adam

Thanks for the info this helped me with my project

over 1 year ago

A Banana

Really useful for my project, thanks for the great info,

almost 2 years ago

Bob

Thank you! Great Website, i found great information for my assignment. THANK YOU! =)

over 2 years ago

Tobi

how is aluminum useful to the physicist?

over 2 years ago

Alexis

how is aluminum used in airplanes?

nice website.

over 2 years ago

Emonie

aluminum is used for many things such as outsider building decorations,and in thousands of industries applications where a strong, light and easily constructed material is needed