Aluminum | About The Element And The Following Uses
ALUMINUM – In this topic, we are going to know and learn the element Aluminum and some of its following uses.
It is a chemical element with the symbol Al, and the atomic number 13, hence, it is 13Al.
The term is derived from its naturally occurring oxide alumina, which is derived from the mineral alum. The term alum is derived from the Latin word alumen which means ‘bitter salt‘. They can be used for aluminium guttering.
The element is a silvery-white, soft, non-magnetic and ductile metal under the boron group in the Periodic Table of Elements.
It is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust and the third most abundant element. Its chief ore is bauxite, which is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high content of this element.
Its metal is highly reactive, hence, native specimens are rare and limited to extreme reducing environments.
The element is known for its low density and its ability to resist corrosion through the phenomenon of passivation. The element, as well as its alloys, are vital to the aerospace industry, transportation industry, and building industry.
Uses
Here are some of its uses, according to Britannica:
- Vital Element For Certain Industries
- As mentioned, the metal and its alloys are used extensively for aircraft construction, building materials, consumer durables, electrical conductors, and chemical and food-processing equipment.
- Ductile and Highly Malleable, Good For Making Wires And Thin Foils
- One of the metal’s properties is that it is ductile and highly malleable, which enables us to make wires and thin foils out of it.
- Excellent Conductor of Heat And Electricity
- Aluminum’s thermal conductivity is about one-half that of copper and its electrical conductivity is two-thirds of it.
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