Did you know these about Aluminum?
02.03.2022
/ SARCAM BOBİNAJ
- Aluminum is a silvery-white metal.
- It is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust, with an 8.8% concentration, following oxygen and silicon.
- The moon has a lot of aluminum.
- Approximately 80% of the Earth's solid surface is made up of aluminum.
- It comes from the Old French word "alumen" to the English language.
- According to the Aluminum Association, about 75% of the aluminum ever produced is still in use today thanks to recycling.
- Aluminum was famously brought into the spotlight in 2011 due to its role in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
- Science-fiction writer Jules Verne mentioned an aluminum space rocket in his 1865 novel "From the Earth to the Moon."
- Aluminum reflects 92% of visible light and around 98% of infrared light.
- Aluminum is so reactive that it cannot be found in pure form. It is the second most used metal after iron.
- Because of the complexity of refining the metal from ore, aluminum was considered rarer and more valuable than gold or silver in the 19th century.
- Although abundant, aluminum was more valuable than gold in the 1850s. In 1852, aluminum was priced at $1,200 per kilogram while gold was priced at $664 per kilogram.
- Danish chemist Hans-Christian successfully obtained aluminum in its pure form from ore in 1825.
- Aluminum production has been rapidly developing. Production has doubled approximately every eight years since 1945.
- Aluminum is a lightweight and 100% recyclable metal used in packaging, automotive, energy, construction, transportation, aviation and defense, and many other industries.
- Aluminum's impact is so profound and widespread that historians may one day look back and refer to these times as the "Aluminum Age."
- Aluminum was once known as the "Metal of Kings." The first President of the French Republic, Napoleon III, served state dinners on aluminum plates. Gold or silver plates were used for common guests.
- When the first electric power transmission network was built (Edison, 1882), using aluminum wiring was too expensive for cabling. As a result, this electric power transmission network was built with copper wiring. Today, aluminum wiring is the best choice for power transmission grids.
- Unlike some metals, aluminum has no taste or smell. Therefore, it is widely used in food packaging and cookware.
- Australia and China are the world's leading aluminum producers.
- Aluminum weighs one-third as much as iron, copper, and brass.
- What do diamonds, cell phones, and the moon have in common? Aluminum, of course.
- Aluminum has no known biological function.
- Aluminum never wears out; it can be recycled forever.
- Ancient Greeks and Romans used aluminum compounds for medicinal purposes, as an astringent and a stop-gap for bleeding, and in dyeing clothes.
- The Aluminum Association (formerly the National Association of Aluminum Manufacturers) was founded in 1933. It was instrumental in getting aluminum designated as a strategic metal during World War II.
- Human flight has been made possible with aluminum. Aluminum has played a significant role in space technology and achievements, from the Wright Brothers to Sputnik, the Apollo Space Program, and beyond.
- Aluminum found its early place in industrial use in engines; such as the one developed by Wright Brothers in 1903 to power their first biplane.
- Aluminum foil was introduced in 1910.
- Steve Jobs recognized the beauty and strength of aluminum, creating a thin and light product line for Mac computers, iPads, and iPhones.
- Aluminum production requires a lot of energy. It takes 17.4 megawatt-hours of electricity to produce one metric ton of aluminum, which is three times more energy than needed to make one metric ton of steel. However, aluminum has a density and hardness that is only one-third that of steel.
- Aluminum does not stick to a magnet under normal conditions.
- Aluminum is anti-magnetic and does not spark.
- Although not as good as silver or copper, aluminum is an excellent conductor of electricity. It is also significantly cheaper and lighter than these metals.
- Between 20-40% of the cost of producing aluminum, depending on the location of the facility, is the cost of generating electricity. Therefore, aluminum manufacturers tend to be located near areas where electricity is abundant and inexpensive, such as South Africa, New Zealand's South Island, Australia, China, the Middle East, Russia, Iceland, and Quebec, Canada.