The technical characteristics of aluminum: more virtues than defects
We never stop reminding ourselves, that we process this material every day, and all companies what the technical characteristics of aluminum are. And that these characteristics are mostly positive and make aluminum a material worth treating and using on a large scale.
It is not really a technical feature, but it is worth mentioning it: the first advantage of aluminum is the quantity of matter present on the planet. Bauxite, in fact, the mineral from which raw aluminum is obtained, is the third most widespread element in nature after oxygen and silicon: it makes up about 8% of the earth's surface. It is easily available in nature and has a reduced production cost compared to other materials that can be used for similar tasks: producing aluminum from scratch has an energy cost of about 13 kWh / kg and the production of recycled aluminum reduces this cost by 95% . Worldwide, around 31 million tons of aluminum are produced annually, of which 7 million tons come from recycling.
Recyclability is another enviable feature of aluminum. Few materials in the world can be 100% recycled and infinite times without losing the original qualities. They remain unchanged indefinitely, even following numerous recycling phases, that is when the metal becomes "recycled aluminum" or "secondary aluminum" from being primary aluminum.
The technical qualities of aluminum
One of the best technical characteristics of aluminum is certainly lightness. Just think that for the same volume, aluminum weighs about 1/3 of copper and steel. Corrosion resistance is also important: aluminum oxidizes as soon as it comes into contact with air, thus creating a surface protection that makes it resistant to water and certain chemicals. For this reason, it is the metal most used by the transport, construction and construction industries.
Aluminum is then non-magnetic, has reflective capacity and high electrical, thermal and sound conductivity. In other words, it allows the transmission of energy even over long distances, a high sound relevance and a remarkable ability to pass heat. Finally, among the technical characteristics of aluminum, there are ductility and malleability: it is an easily workable material and suitable for undergoing manufacturing processes both at high and low temperatures.