Aluminium

Chris Grover & Fabian Reeves Whymark

Properties
Weight Aluminium is light with a density one third that of steel, 2.700 kg/m3. Strength Aluminium is strong with a tensile strength of 70 to 700 MPa depending on the alloy and manufacturing process. Extrusions of the right alloy and design are as strong as structural steel. Elasticity The Youngs modulus for aluminium is a third that of steel (E = 70,000 MPa). This means that the moment of inertia has to be three times as great for an aluminium extrusion to achieve the same deflection as a steel profile. Corrosion resistance A thin layer of oxide is formed in contact with air, which provides very good protection against corrosion even in corrosive environments. This layer can be further strengthened by surface treatments such as anodising or powder coating. Conductivity The thermal and electrical conductivities are very good even when compared with copper. Furthermore, an aluminium conductor has only half the weight of an equivalent copper conductor. Linear expansion Aluminium has a relatively high coefficient of linear expansion compared to other metals. This should be taken into account at the design stage to compensate for differences in expansion.

General information
Most abundant metal (3rd most material after oxygen and silicon) Found in Bauxite

Aluminium is a good reflector of both light and heat. Aluminium is not poisonous and is therefore highly suitable for the preparation and storage of food.

Production
Production
-Although aluminium is the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust, it is never found in free, metallic form. -Its requires lots of energy to make it useable

Recyclable? -Aluminium is theoretically 100% recyclable without any

loss of its natural qualities. - Only uses 5% of energy originally used to create it

World Production Quantities from 1900-

General uses
Aluminium is almost always alloyed -For example, cans are alloys of 92% to 99% aluminium -The main alloys are copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese and silicon Aluminium can be reacted with hydrochloric acid or with sodium hydroxide to produce hydrogen gas. Super purity aluminium (SPA, 99.980% to 99.999% Al), used in electronics and CDs

Processes
Laser cut Waterjet cutting Aluminium Welding Extruding Bending Spinning Sand or Die casting Superforming

Colour and Surface Finishes:

Depending on surface roughness it can be metallic grey-silver in colour.

Aluminium can be anodised with any colour or plated.

Polishing/Buffing aluminium can obtain a 96% mirror finish.

Aluminium oxidizes so fast that the layer of aluminium oxide acts as protection against further oxidization.

Sand blasting, sanding and grinding will give different grades of smoothness/reflectivity.

It can be coated with various laminates to give a plastic finish.

Machine finishes are often flawless with the direction of the cuts sometimes left, it can also be brushed or textured.

Cast aluminium will obtain the same surface finish as the material it is cast in i.e. sand.

 Aluminium is used in an enormous variety of different products. It is commonly used as a supporting structure for internal components rather than steel because of its low weight and electrical insulation. The most common way in which aluminium is used is in an alloy form. Normally other cheaper metals are mixed with it to create consumer products such as mobile phones, jewellery, fixtures and fittings. Because of its light weight it is used in the aircraft industry, sometimes with a mixture of titanium to provide strength. Higher end Cars, bicycles, boats commonly utilise aluminium to save weight and increase performance. Outdoor and food packaging products are almost always aluminium as they do not rust. Other uses include foil, cans/tins, packaging, sculpture, industry machines or tooling, electricity pylons, robotics and building fabrication.

Applications:

 Aluminium is a generic material for designers, it allows the prototyping or sculpting of a design. Specialist aluminium companies in the UK: -Foundry Fabrication -http://www.foundryfabrication.co.uk (based in Totnes) -Edmo -http://www.edmolimited.co.uk/ (Aluminium machining/working) Designers/Designs: (Aluminium Forming/casting)

Experts and Innovators:

Spitfire (R.J. Mitchell 1895-1937) Audi R8 (Quattro GmBH)

Apple inc (Jonathon Ive)

Carlos Montana

Sustainability:
Aluminium is by far the most sustainable metal due to its recyclability. It can be melted down and reformed an infinite number of times. Although it has a high initial energy impact because of its sparsity in ore form it does have a low melting point and is light to transport. Even though steel can be recycled it rusts away eventually, aluminium does not. It is the most abundant metallic element, making up 8.3% of the weight of the Earth.